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Source-Readers in American History — No. Ill 

HOW OUR GRANDFATHERS 
LIVED 



Source-Readers in American History — No. 3 

HOW OUR 
GRANDFATHERS LIVED 



SELECTED AND ANNOTATED BY 

ALBERT BUSHNELL HART 

Of Harvard University ^ 
WITH THE COLLABORATION OF 

ANNIE BLISS CHAPMAN 

Of the Worcester Normal School 



With Many Illustrations 



NEW YORK 
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

LONDON: 1VL\CMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 

1902 

All risrJits reserved 



THP LIBRARY OF 
CON-ORESS, 

T^) CoPlce RtOSlvEtJ 

NOV. 7f 190? 

CLASS^'XXo No. 

corv B. 



Copyright, 1902, 
By the MACMILLAN COMPANY. 



Set up and electrotyped November, 1902. 



Norivood Press 

J. S. Cashing & Co. — Berwick & Smith 

Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. 



vi 



Preface 



Volumes I and II of this series of Source Readers deal with 
periods beyond the memory of living persons ; but the romance 
and interest of American life and American history are not at 
all confined to the beginnings, and this volume relates chiefly 
to the first half of the nineteenth century. Our grandfathers 
and even our fathers passed lives full of interest and of unusual 
incidents : the school, the field, the forest, the hunt, the stage- 
coach, and the steamboat are already remote from our present 
generation. Distinct historic incidents are also abundant, 
especially during the War of 1812, and have been freely used 
in this volume. The selections on American education will be 
novel to most children, and represent some picturesque con- 
ditions, now for the most part outgrown. 

Special pains have been taken to illustrate the remarkable 
life of the western frontier, now fast becoming only a tradition. 
As in the other volumes of the series, nothing has been added 
to these extracts, although there are omissions and occasionally 
changes of words or phrases. 



ALBERT BUSHNELL HART. 



Cambridge, Massachusetts, 
August, 1902. 



Contents 



r.'.GE 

Introduction for Teachers ix 

PART I 
In Town i 

PART II 
In the Country 45 

PART III 
Travellers Si 

PART IV 
Out West 143 

PART V 
The INDLA.NS . , . . 173 

PART VI 
At Sea 217 

PART VII 
The Armv . . . .271 

PART VIII 
At School . . . , . . . . . - . -317 



Vll 



INTRODUCTION FOR TEACHERS 

The place of sources in secondary schools is already 
assured, and teachers using them are ready to testify to 
their incalculable value in teaching history ; but to put 
sources into the hands of grammar school children is, in 
the minds of many teachers, quite another matter. If, 
however, sources give vividness and reality to the study 
of history when pursued in the higher schools, why may 
not the same hold true for elementary schools, provided 
the selections are made carefully and are adapted to the 
age and understanding of the pupils ? 

In my own experience I have found the use of such 
sources as Bradford's Journal, for instance, invaluable 
both for giving reality to the study of the early years of 
the Plymouth settlement and also for teaching children 
where to go to settle a disputed point. I have put the 
Journal in its antiquated form, as far as spelling and 
construction are concerned, into the hands of eighth grade 
pupils with excellent result ; it was gratifying to find that, 
when two text-books disagreed on some point, the pupils 
turned at once to Bradford for aid. Several of my stu- 
dents who, in connection with their course at the Normal 
School, have taught in the grammar grades of the Worces- 
ter schools, have brought me testimony as to the assistance 
they have found in the sources — particularly in connec- 
tion with colonial history — which they have put into the 
pupil's hands. 

This series of readers contains sources adapted for use 



X Introduction 

in elementary schools, and much study of the ordinary 
history text-book would fail to do what is so easily done 
by these selections. Moreover, it is worth while to make 
children acquainted with some of the people who wrote 
and from whose works we gain a knowledge of the past. 
Furthermore, sources cultivate the imagination, because 
they have the freshness of eye-witnesses, and so vitalize 
history. 

In the preparation of this volume, dealing as it does 
with later periods than either of former ones of this series, 
fewer changes have been made. Occasionally the spell- 
ing and phrasing have been modified, but in general the 
selections have not been changed in any particular. The 
use of this series of Source Readers as a regular reading- 
book has been explained in the first volume. I shall 
therefore confine myself to suggestions for the use of this 
third volume in connection with the formal study of 
history, a purpose" to which it is well adapted. 

When the Revolution, for instance, is studied, selections 
I, 2, and 3, rich in allusions to persons of that time, will 
give an added interest to the work. Then such selections 
as Brissot de Warville's Visit to Mt. Vernon (No. 15), 
showing the simplicity of Washington's life, and Jeffer- 
son's Letters to his Daughters (No. 100) give a different 
idea of the personality of these men from that gained 
from the ordinary study of history. The anecdotes of 
Hancock (No. 5) are of value in the same way, and may 
also be noted as containing a hint of the feeling regarding 
State Rights in 1790. 

For illustrating the War of 1812 there is a wealth of 
material. The Pleasures of Impressment (No. 73) will 
naturally illustrate the causes of the war, while such 
events as the capture of the Gucr/-iere can be found both 
in poetry and in prose, the latter being the official an- 



Introductio?i xi 

noLincement. Most children old enough to use this book 
will probably be familiar with the Star-Spangled Banner 
(No. 80), but if not, it would be worth while to vary the 
reading by learning to sing what should be familiar to 
every grammar school pupil in the countr)^ 

Practically the whole of Part VII should be used in 
connection with the War of 1S12. Dolly INIadison's letter 
describing the saving of Washington's portrait (No. 90) 
deserves especial attention. One can fairly see the impa- 
tience of jMr. Carroll as he waited while the painting was 
secured, and can almost hear the tramp of the invading 
army. Such a selection as this does more to render con- 
ditions of war vivid than pages of the ordinary text-book. 
Although there are not many descriptions of battle-fields, 
two selections are given (Nos. 96 and 97) which show the 
seamy side of war. It is worth while, sometimes, to let 
children get a glimpse of some other phase than the 
heroic. It will be noticed also that testimony from other 
than American writers has been sought. Extracts have 
been made from accounts by British officers or sympa- 
thizers (Nos. 89, 92, 96). It is worth while to call the 
pupil's attention to this fact. 

Another feature of this book which adapts it for use in 
history- study is the attention paid to the development of 
the countr}'. The rude life of one hundred years ago is 
strikingly presented in Breck's account of the Mad-Caps 
of Boston (No. 4), while Parts III and IV are rich in con- 
trasts with present conditions. To the majority of children 
to-day a Canal Trip (No. 36) is an unknown experience, 
and those familiar Avith the comforts of the modern steam- 
ship will enjoy the description of an early steamboat (No. 
35) and such experiences in ocean travelling as Abigail 
Adams gives in her letters (No. 72). Moreover, the life 
described is not confined to our section alone ; it ranges 



xii Introductio'n 

from the receptions of prominent men (No. 5) to an 
account of Philadelphia fashions (No. 6) ; from life in 
Mexico (No. 9) to that in New York (Nos. 7 and 13) and 
Philadelphia (No. 8); while foreign conditions are touched 
upon in such a selection as A Japanese Reception 
(No. 86). 

Old customs, long since given up, are here brought to 
the notice of the pupil for the purpose of adding vividness 
to the life of the past. Especially interesting are such 
old customs as those described in The Bells (No. 22), and 
the old method of celebrating New Year's Day in New 
York (No. 13). The accounts of such people as the 
Shaking Quakers (No. 19) and the ceremonies at the 
Moravian schools portrayed in The Children's Love Feast 
(No. loi) are particularly good because of their unique 
descriptions. 

Primitive life is closest to a child's understanding: 
hence the enjoyment of folk-lore, of fairy tale, of adven- 
ture and struggle on the frontier. The life and customs 
of the Indians, with specimens of their folk-lore, are found 
in abundance in Part V, while the craving for stories of 
adventure may be met with in such selections as the Ex- 
periences of a Hunter during a Storm (No. 27); Boone's 
Adventures (No. 49) ; In a Cave (No. 43) ; and Hewitt's 
Escape from the Indians (No. 60). 

Every teacher finds that stories of child life appeal 
most strongly to children, and where could a more charm- 
ing story be found than in Sheldon's Incidents in the Life 
of a Bound Boy (No. 21), with its pictures of the Thanks- 
giving festival, the work and play, the food and clothing 
of a boy who lived over a hundred years ago ? A contrast 
with this home life may be found in the experiences of a 
boy at sea (Nos. 75, 82), while the Little Indian Captive 
(No. 57) will serve to make the dangers of frontier life 



Introdtiction xiii 

real, as well as to show a side of Indian character that is 
seldom portrayed. 

The accounts of school life are rich in contrasts : in 
the Old Fashioned Reading Book (No. 26) with all its ab- 
surdities ; in Daniel Webster's account of his school life 
(No. 108), with its list of books and the confession of his 
difficulty in making a declamation ; in the picture of the 
Last Day of School (No. 1 1 1) ; and in the quaint list of 
books, of branches taught, and the careful attention to 
manners that the Very Young School Mistress gives 
(No. 114) there is a wealth of material for making vivid 
the school life of the early part of the last century. More- 
over, we have nearly all varieties of school life given, — 
that in the country (No. 114), at a French convent 
(No. 116), at a boarding school (No. 115), and at college 
(Nos. 105, 112). 

It would be worth while to have a class represent in 
drawings the exterior and interior of the District School 
of 1833 (No. 109), following the descriptions given. Let 
me suggest also that a miniature log cabin be built in 
connection with the study of frontier life (No. 47). I 
have seen admirable reproductions of the settlement of 
Plymouth made with the moulding-board and miniature 
houses, the latter copying as closely as possible the rude 
houses of those early days. Special topics, suggested by 
many of these selections, could be assigned to individual 
pupils who could report to the class. Such work is val 
uable training both to the one who prepares the subject 
and to those to whom it is given. The note-book, a neces- 
sary adjunct to all such study, will be found especially 
helpful in this work. 

Let me emphasize, as my last point, the fact that this 
book supplies a need. No grammar school history at- 
tempts to deal at any length with the life of the people. 



xiv httrodiiction 

General, and usually brief, accounts are given, but they 
lack the reality and the vividness here obtained through 
the words of the actors themselves. The life of a people 
is a far more important study, certainly for children, than 
wars and rumors of wars. 

ANNIE BLISS CHAPMAN. 



HOW OUR GRANDFATHERS 
LIVED 



PART 1 
IN TOWN 



I. An American Lady in London 

Bv Abigail Adams (1785) 

To amuse you then, my dear niece, I will give you st.james = 
an account of the dress of the ladies at the ball of "^'^^ ^y-^' 

1/— If \ M > • ^^ palace in 

the Comte d Adhemar; as your cousin tells me that London. 

she some time ago gave you a history of the birthday 

and ball at Court, this may serve as a counterpart. 

Though, should I attempt to compare the apartments, 

St. James's would fall as much short of the French 

Ambassador's, as the Court of his Britannic Majesty 

does of the splendor and magnificence of that of his 

Most Christian Majesty. I am sure I never saw an Most chris- 

assembly room in America, which did not exceed that '"^^ Majesty 

o T I • • r 1 ~ King of 

at St. James s m point of elegance and decoration; France, 
and, as to its fair visitors, not all their blaze of dia- 
monds, set off with Parisian rouge, can match the 
blooming health, the sparkling eye, and modest de- 
portment of the dear girls of my native land. 

As to the dancing, the space they had to move in 
gave them no opportunity to display the grace of a 
minuet, and the full dress of long court-trains and 
enormous hoops, you well know were not favorable 

B I 



2 /// Town [No. I 

for country dances, so that I saw them at every dis- 
advantage ; not so the other evening. They were 
much more properly clad ; — silk waists, gauze or 
white or painted tiffany coats decorated with ribbon, 
beads, or flowers, as fancy directed, were chiefly worn 
by the young ladies. Hats turned up at the sides 
with diamond loops and buttons of steel, large bows 
of ribbons and wreaths of flowers, displayed them- 
selves to much advantage upon the heads of some of 
the prettiest girls England can boast. The light 
from the lustres is more favorable to beauty than 
daylight, and the color acquired by dancing more 
becoming than rouge, as fancy dresses are more 
favorable to youth than the formality of a uniform. 

There was as great a variety of pretty dresses, 
borrowed wholly from France, as I have ever seen ; 
and amongst the rest, some with sapphire-blue satin 
waists, spangled with silver, and laced down the back 
and seams with silver stripes ; white satin petticoats 
trimmed with black and blue velvet ribbon ; an odd 
kind of head-dress, which they term the " helmet of 
The owl. Minerva." I did not observe the bird of wisdom, 
however, nor do I know whether those who wore the 
dress had suitable pretensions to it. 

" And pray," say you, " how were my aunt and 
cousin dressed .■^ " If it will gratify you to know, you 
shall hear. Your aunt, then, wore a full-dress court 
cap without the lappets, in which was a wreath of 
white flowers, and blue sheafs, two black and blue 
flat feathers (which cost her half a guinea apiece, 
but that you need not tell of), three pearl pins, bought 
for Court, and a pair of pearl earrings, the cost of 
them — no matter what; less than diamonds, how- 
ever. A sapphire-blue dcwi-saison with a satin stripe, 




A LADY OK THE REPUBLIC. 



4- In Town [no. i 

sack and petticoat trimmed with a broad black lace ; 
crape flounce, etc. ; leaves made of blue ribbon, and 
trimmed with white floss ; wreaths of black velvet 
ribbon spotted with steel beads, which are much in 
fashion, and brought to such perfection as to re- 
semble diamonds; white ribbon also in the Vandyke 
style, made up of the trimming, which looked very 
elegant; a full-dress handkerchief, and a bouquet of 
roses. " Full gay, I think, for my aunt." That is 
true, Lucy, but nobody is old in Europe. I was 
seated next the Duchess of Bedford, who had a 
scarlet satin sack and coat, with a cushion full of 
diamonds, for hair she has none, and she is but 
seventy-six, too. 

Well, now for your cousin ; a small, white Leghorn 
hat, bound with pink satin ribbon ; a steel buckle and 
band which turned up at the side, and confined a large 
pink bow ; a large bow of the same kind of ribbon 
behind ; a wreath of full-blown roses round the crown, 
and another of buds and roses withinside the hat, 
which being placed at the back of the hair, brought 
the roses to the edge ; you see it clearly ; one red 
and black feather, with two white ones, completed 
the head-dress. A gown and coat of Chamberi gauze, 
with a red satin strijDe over a pink waist, and coat 
flounced with crape, trimmed with broad point and 
pink ribbon ; wreaths of roses across the coat ; gauze 
sleeves and ruffles. But the poor girl was so sick 
with a cold, that she could not enjoy herself, and we 
retired about one o'clock without waiting for supper, by 
Lord North which you have lost half a sheet of paper, I dare say. 
was prime I cannot closc without describing to you Lady 

minister North and her daughter. She is as large as Captain 

during the " & i 

Revolution. Colton's wife, and much such a woman, with a much 



No. 2] Presentation 5 

fuller face, of the color and complexion of Mrs. 
Colton, who formerly lived with your uncle Palmer, 
and looks as if porter and beef stood no chance 
before her ; she was dressed in white satin, trimmed 
with scarlet ribbon. Miss North is not so large, nor 
quite so red, but has a very small eye, with the most 
impudent face you can possibly form an idea of, 
joined to manners so masculine that I was obliged 
frequently to recollect that line of Dr. Young's, 

" Believe her dress ; she's not a grenadier," 

to persuade myself that I was not mistaken. 

Thus, my dear girl, you have an account which 
perhaps may amuse you a little. You must excuse 
my not copying ; I fear, now, I shall not get nearly 
all my letters ready, — my pen very bad, as you see ; 
and I am engaged three days this week, — to a rout 
at the Baroness de Nolken's, the Swedish minister's, 
to a ball on Thursday evening, and to a dinner on 
Saturday. Do not fear that your aunt will become 
dissipated, or in love with European manners ; but, 
as opportunity offers, I wish to see this European 
world in all its forms that I can with decency. I 
still moralize with Yorick, or with one more expe- 
rienced, and say, " Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." 



2. Presentation at St. James 

By Abigail Adams (1785) 

Congratulate me, my dear sister, it is over. I 
was too much fatigued to write a line last evening. 
At two o'clock we went to the circle, which is in the 
drawing-room of the Queen. We passed through 



6 In Town lno. 2 

several apartments, lined as usual with spectators 
upon these occasions. Upon entering the antecham- 
ber, the Baron de Lynden, the Dutch Minister, who 
has been often here, came and spoke with me. A 
Count Sarsfield, a French nobleman, with whom I 
was acquainted, paid his compliments. As I passed 
into the drawing-room. Lord Carmarthen and Sir 
Clement Cotterel Dormer were presented to me. 
Though they had been several times here, I had 
never seen them before. The Swedish and the Polish 
ministers made their compliments, and several other 
gentlemen ; but not a single lady did I know until the 
Countess of Effingham came, who was very civil. 

There were three young ladies, daughters of the 
Marquis of Lothian, who were to be presented at the 
same time, and two brides. We were placed in a 
circle round the drawing-room, which was very full, 
I believe two hundred persons present. Only think 
of the task ! The royal family have to go round to 
every person, and find small talk enough to speak to 
all of them, though they very prudently speak in a 
whisper, so that only the person who stands next 
you can hear what is said. The King enters the 
room, and goes round to the right ; the Queen and 
Princesses to the left. The lord in waiting presents 
you to the King ; and the lady in waiting does the 
same to her Majesty. 
King George The King is a personable man, but, my dear sister, 
he has a certain countenance, which you and I have 
often remarked ; a red face and white eyebrows. 
The Queen has a similar countenance, and the numer- 
ous royal family confirm the observation. Persons 
are not placed according to their rank in the drawing- 
room, but promiscuously ; and when the King comes 



111 



No. 2] 



Presentation 



1 



in, he takes persons as they stand. When he came 
to me, Lord Onslow said, " Mrs. Adams ; " upon 
which I drew off my right-hand glove, and his Maj- 
esty sahited my left cheek ; then asked me if I had 
taken a walk to-day. I could have told his Majesty 
that I had been all the morning preparing to wait 
upon him; but I replied, "No, Sire." "Why, don't 
you love walking } " says he. I answered, that I was 
rather indolent in that re- 
spect. He then bowed, • ' -, 
and passed on. 

It was more than two 
hours after this before it 
came to my turn to be pre- 
sented to the Queen. The 
circle was so large that the 
company were four hours 
standing. The Queen 
was evidently embarrassed 
when I was presented to 
her. I had disagreeable 
feelings too. She, how- 
ever, said, "Mrs. Adams, 
have you got into your house .'' Pray, how do you 
like the situation of it ? " Whilst the Princess Royal 
looked compassionate, and asked me if I was not 
much fatigued ; and observed that it was a very full 
drawing-room. Her sister, who came next. Princess 
Augusta, after having asked your niece if she was 
ever in England before, and her answering " Yes," 
inquired of me how long ago, and supposed it was 
when she was very young. And all this is said with 
much affability, and the ease and freedom of old 
acquaintance. 




PRINCESS AUGUSTA SPINNING. 



8 In Town [no. 3 

The manner in which they make their tour round 
the room is, first, the Queen, the lady in waiting 
behind her, holding up her train ; next to her, the 
Princess Royal ; after her, Princess Augusta, and 
their lady in waiting behind them. They are pretty, 
rather than beautiful, well shaped, with fair complex- 
ions, and a look of the King's countenance. The 
two sisters look much alike; they were both dressed 
in black and silver silk, with a silver netting upon 
the coat, and their heads full of diamond pins. The 
Queen was in purple and silver. She is not well 
shaped nor handsome. As to the ladies of the Court, 
rank and title may compensate for want of personal 
charms ; but they are, in general, very plain, ill- 
shaped, and ugly ; but don't you tell anybody that 
I say so. If one wants to see beauty, one must go 
to Ranelagh ; there it is collected, in one bright con- 
A pleasure stcllation. There were two ladies very elegant, at 
garden. Court, — Lady Salisbury and Lady Talbot ; but the 

observation did not in general hold good, that fine 
feathers make fine birds. I saw many who were 
vastly richer dressed than your friends, but I will 
venture to say, that I saw none neater or more 
elegant. 



3. A Little Patriot and her Papa 

Bv Abigail Adams (1785) 

London, June ist, 1785. To-day my father went 
with Lord Carmarthen to the Palace, where he found 
many gentlemen, known to him before. Lord C. 
introduced him to his majesty, George IIL Papa 
made his speech when he presented his letter ; his 



No. 3] A Little Patriot 9 

majesty was affected, and said, " Sir, your words 
have been so proper, upon this occasion, that I can- 
not but say I am gratified that you are the man 
chosen to be the Minister." 

June 4th. This is the anniversary of his majesty's 
birth ; consequently there was a Levee at St. James. 
On this day their majesties speak to every person 
present. The King speaks first to the Foreign Min- 
isters. He conversed a quarter of an hour with the 
Spanish Minister, upon music, of which he said he 
was passionately fond, particularly of Handel's ; he 
respected the memory of Handel, for he owed to him 
the greatest happiness of his life, and observed that 
Handel had said of him when young " That young 
man will preserve my music." My father observed 
that he had never heard anything like conversation 
at court before. One of the Ambassadors who had 
attended at the French court thirty years, said Mon- 
sieur, the king's brother, had asked every time he had 
been to court, which was generally every Tuesday, 
" have you come from Paris to-day .'' " and no other 
question. 

September 2d. About twelve o'clock, Mrs. Smith, 
from Clapham, and Miss B. called upon us. Mamma 
was just dressing, so I had to appear. Miss B. began 
to question me, as to which country I liked best, 
France or England } I would not give a preference. 
" But you undoubtedly prefer England to America.''" 
" I must indeed confess. Miss, that I do not at pres- 
ent." Was it possible ! I acknowledged the excel- 
lencies of this country. There was more to please 
and gratify the senses ; but I had formed such 
friendships and attachments in America, as would 
ever render it dear to me. " But surely, the culture 



I o In Town [no. 3 

is carried to a much greater degree of perfection here 
than in America." "Granted." "And you must," 
said Miss B., very pertly, " iind a great difference 
between America and this country } " " In what, 
pray, Miss.''" said I. "Why, in the general appear- 
ance, in the people, their manners, customs, behavior, 
and in everything." "Indeed," said I, "I do not; 
there is so great a similarity in the manners of the 
people, in the two countries, that I should take them 
for one. If anything, I find a greater degree of 
politeness and civility in America, than in the people 
of this country. And the lower class of people in 
America are infinitely superior to the lower class of 
people here." Their astonishment was great — was 
it possible I could think so ! Surely the distressing 
war had been an impediment to all improvement and 
education. 

Dr. Bancroft came in and passed an hour. After 
he had gone, we had some conversation upon the pic- 
tures below. Papa said they were spoiled ; he was 
not at all content with his own, yet thought it the best 
that had ever been taken of him. No one had yet 
caught his character. The ruling principles in his 
moral character, were candor, probity, and decision. 
I think he discovered more knowledge of himself 
than usually falls to the lot of man ; for, from my 
own observation, I think these are characteristic of 
him ; and I add another, which is sensibility. I have 
never discovered a greater proportion of candor in 
any character. I hope if I inherit any of his virtues 
it may be this; it is a necessary attendant through 
life. In whatever intercourse we have with society, 
we find it necessary in a greater or less degree ; and in 
the mind of a woman, I esteem it particularly amiable. 



No. 4] Mad- caps 1 1 

4. Mad-caps 

By Samuel Breck (1787) 

On my journey to Boston I chose the water-con- 
veyance, and reached my native town on the second 
of July, 1787, after an absence of four years and a 
half. I found my dear parents and family well. On 
the Fourth of July, being a national holiday, there 
was a great parade on the Common opposite to my 
father's house, and a vast assemblage at the beautiful 
residence of the governor of the State, the celebrated 
John Hancock. This distinguished man lived in a 
spacious stone house, built by his uncle. My father 
introduced me to His Excellency and to all the prin- 
cipal people of the town. Five or six hundred militia- 
men paraded in rifle-frocks and queer dresses in 
honor of the day ; a public oration was delivered by 
Harrison Gray Otis, I believe ; and in the evening 
squibs and fireworks closed the fete. 

A few weeks after my arrival, and before I had 
become acquainted with the boisterous manners of 
the young men of those days, Isaac Parker, the pres- 
ent chief justice of Massachusetts, invited me to dine 
with him. He was then a law-student, and the com- 
pany was composed of lads under age who were pre- The great 
paring for various pursuits in life. There was more temperance 

, . , movement 

noisy mnth after dinner than was m good taste ; but began about 
it was the fashion of the day to drink hard and then forty years 
kick up a row. Parker resided at the north end of 
the town, and being in the neighborhood of Charles- 
town, it was agreed by the company to adjourn to a 
drinking-house on Breed's Hill. Thither we went, a 
good deal tipsy, making a zigzag course over the 



12 In Town [No. 4 

bridge, and ascending the hill by a steep and narrow 
street. 

I was sober ; most of our party were otherwise, and 
by their noise and insolence in passing a tailor's 
house raised the anger of the whole shopboard, who 
swore they would cuff and trim us, and send us home 
with a stitch in our sides. Down jumped half a dozen 
slipshod snips, who threw at our heads glass bottles, 
stones and other missiles, and after a short contest 
drove us back to Boston somewhat sobered. Near 
the concert-hall we met an acquaintance named Minot, 
who prided himself on his spirit in an affray. We 
told him what had happened, and such was his rage 
at our defeat that he went off determined to avenge 
it. Having reached the bridge, he met two men who 
smelt of cabbage, as the boys said, and very uncere- 
moniously asked them where they were going. 

" We are going," said they, " to take out writs against 
a parcel of wild chaps who have insulted us." " You 
are.-*" cried Minot. "I am happy to meet you;" 
and while he spoke he laid one fellow over the head with 
his cane, which brought him to the ground, and drove 
the other back to Charlestown ; after which, proud of 
his victory, he returned home. And so did I, without 
thinking any more about the business. 

The next morning, however, my father came up to 
my chamber with a very grave countenance, holding 
in his hand a newspaper in which our party was lam- 
pooned in verse and strongly censured in prose. Nor 
was this the worst. 

"Prepare yourself," said my father, "to pay a 
heavy fine and spend a few months in prison, for 
there is a criminal prosecution on foot, which will end 
in the punishment you all deserve." I soon con- 



No. 5] yohn Ha?icock [3 

vinced that excellent parent that I was a non-comba- 
tant, which was confirmed by my name being omitted 
in the suit that was brought against all the others, 
including Sam Minot, the volunteer. They were sum- 
moned to Concord, about twenty miles from Boston, 
and condemned to pay twenty dollars each. Minot, 
some three or four years afterward, I met at Amster- 
dam, where he had been engaged unsuccessfully, I 
think, in commerce. He was the same harum- 
scarum fellow then as before, and died young. 
Most of the other boys of that frolic who grew up, 
distinguished themselves in their various walks in life, 
and those who survive are now the magistrates, legis- 
lators, fathers and venerable square-toes of the com- 
munity wherever they reside. 



5. Anecdotes of John Hancock 

By Samuel Breck. (1790) 

At the time when Admiral de Ponderez was lying 
with his fleet in the harbor of Boston, the great Wash- 
ington, who was President of the United States, ar- 
rived in the town. He like a kind father was visiting 
the vast country he had been called upon to govern. 
His reception was most cordial. A broad arch was 
purposely erected, with appropriate mottoes, across 
Marlborough street, opposite to the old State House, 
under which he passed in great state, and entering 
the State House showed himself from the balcony to 
the thousands who stood below. I placed myself on 
this occasion in the front window of a handsome brick 
church situated almost opposite. From that church 



14 



In Tt 



own 



[No. 5 



I saw everything, heard the fine anthems composed 
for the occasion, and gazed upon the majestic person 
and beneficent features of our immortal and unique 
President — beloved, admired by everybody. The 
procession moved from the State House to the house 

selected for his 
residence. It 
was a handsome 
brick building at 
the corner of 
Tremont and 
Court streets. A 
beautiful com- 
pany of light 
infantry, com- 
manded by Har- 
rison Gray Otis, 
served as a 
guard of honor 
and escort. 

Governor Han- 
cock had pre- 
pared a great 
dinner at his 
house, to which 
he invited the French admiral, the officers of his fleet 
and the principal citizens. A notion had got into 
Hancock's head that the governor of a State was a 
kind of sovereign in his own territory, and that it 
would be derogatory to his station to pay the first 
visit to any one, even to the President of the United 
States ; and acting always by this rule, he sent an 
invitation to General Washington to dine with him, 
but excused himself from calling on him, saying that 




TllK llANCiiCK IKiUMv 



No. 5] John Hancock 1 5 

sickness detained him at home, thus covering by a 
lame apology the resohition which he dared not 
openly exercise toward the President. 

Washington, who had received some hint of this 
intended etiquette, was not very likely to submit to 
it ; therefore, when he arrived at his residence he dis- 
missed Captain Otis's company, and instead of going 
to dine with the governor, sent his aid-de-camp, 
Major William Jackson, with a message declining the 
invitation, and intimating that if Hancock's health 
permitted him to receive company, it would admit of 
his visiting him. 

My father dined at the governor's that day, and 
about sunset brought home Admiral de Ponderez and 
several officers, who spent the evening with us. The 
dinner party went off heavily, as every one was disap- 
pointed at not meetihg with the President. Mean- 
time, the French ships of war in the harbor were 
illuminated with variegated lamps, and bonfires 
blazed in every direction. The ladies wore bandeaux, Bandeaux= 
cestuses and ribbons stamped and worked in with the fi'ietsforthe 

head. 

name of Washington, some in gold and silver, and cestus= 
others with pearls. The utmost joy and enthusiastic girdle, 
affection pervaded all classes. Every honor and atten- 
tion was lavishly bestowed on the distinguished guest. 
About ten o'clock in the evening I accompanied 
the admiral to the wharf, where he took boat for his 
ship. As we passed the residence of the President, 
De Ponderez expressed his surprise at the absence of 
all sort of parade or noise. " What ! " said he, " not 
even a sentinel.-' In Europe," he added, "a briga- 
dier-general would have a guard ; and here this great 
man, the chief of a nation, dispenses with all military 
show, so much insisted on with us ! " 



1 6 In Town [no. 5 

The next day was Sunday, and immediately after 
morning service Mr, Joseph Russell, an intimate 
acquaintance of the governor's, called at our house 
and told my father that His Excellency had swallowed 
the bitter pill, and was then on his way to visit the 
President ; to which step he had been urged by a 
report that people generally condemned his false pride. 

Hancock, who was a distant relation of ours, pos- 
sessed winning manners and fascinating conversation ; 
yet with a hospitable heart and all the suavity of pol- 
ished breeding, he was so much swayed by state im- 
portance that he forfeited occasionally his claim to 
those amiable qualities. An example has just been 
given in the case of Washington ; and a few months 
later the same thing occurred with the French ambas- 
sador, Comte de Moustier, who when visiting Boston 
was not noticed by the governor, because the minister 
would not pay him the first visit. It may be that the 
governor was right here, but it was an idle piece of 
etiquette, which disgusted De Moustier with Boston 
— so much so that he dined nowhere, I think, except 
at my father's. 

I remember another occasion on which Hancock 
showed an unkind feeling toward the general govern- 
ment, from an idea that it withheld from him that 
deference which his post of governor of a sovereign 
state entitled him to. He attached mighty impor- 
tance to the station of chief magistrate of an indepen- 
dent state, forgetting that a portion of that lofty 
character was relinquished when Massachusetts be- 
came a component part of the Federal Union. His 
solicitude upon this subject brings to my mind four 
verses to the tune of " Yankee Doodle " often sung 
by the British officers during the Revolution : 



No. 5] yohn Haficoch 17 

" Madame Hancock dreamt a dream ; 
She dreamt she wanted something; 
She dreamt she wanted a Yankee king, 
To crown him with a pumpkin." 

This official heartburning led him to neglect all those 
who had anything to do with the Federal govern- 
ment. Thus it was that a party of Indian chiefs and 
their squaws who were sent to Boston to see the town 
were totally unnoticed by him. 

I happened to meet with those children of the 
woods on a journey from New York to Boston, and 
spent some time in the same tavern on the road. 
They travelled in two carriages under the care of 
Captain Prior of the army. A Mr. d'Hauteville, a 
Creole French planter, was with me, and we agreed 
to show some attention to these strangers when they 
arrived at Boston. Accordingly, we went to see 
them, and made arrangements to give them a dinner 
at our lodgings. Expecting that the governor would 
entertain them, we waited several days. He, how- 
ever, took no notice of them, and on the appointed 
day they came to us. Mrs. Eaton's house, where we 
lodged, was spacious, and /the courtyard was large 
and retired, and well suited to accommodate the 
crowd of spectators by which our red guests were 
followed. Calaviinig coro Jio are the Indian words 
for " I drink your good health," and they were often 
repeated that day. After the cloth was removed I 
asked the chief for a toast. He rose with solemnity 
and addressed me as follows : " Brother, I divide my 
toast into three parts. First, I drink reverence to 
the Great Spirit, our Father in heaven ; secondly, to 
our Great Father on earth, the President of the 
United States ; and thirdly, to our travelling father 



1 8 /;/ Town [No. e 

and friend, Captain Prior." All this was delivered 
with suitable emphasis and great gravity in the In- 
dian language, and translated by the interpreter of 
the government, who dined with us. They stayed 
about three hours, and conducted themselves very 
well, retiring loaded with cigars and reasonably sober 
for Indians. 

♦ 

6. Fashions in Philadelphia 

Bv Dolly Madison (1791) 

And now, my dear Anna, we will have done with 
judges and juries, courts, both martial and partial, 
and we will speak a little about Philadelphia and 
the fashions, the beaux. Congress, and the weather. 
Do I not make a fine jumble of them .? What would 
Harper or beau Dawson say were they to know it, 
ha, ha, — mind you laugh herewith me. Philadelphia 
never was known to be so lively at this season as at 
present ; for an accurate account of the amusements, 
I refer you to my letter to your sister Mary. 

I went yesterday to see a doll, which has come 
from England, dressed to show us the fashions, and 
I saw besides a great quantity of millinery. Very 
long trains are worn, and they are festooned up 
Bobbin= a with loops of bobbin and small covered buttons, 
kind of trim- the Same as the dress ; you are not confined to any 
number of festoons, but put them according to your 
fancy, and you cannot imagine what a beautiful effect 
it has. There is also a robe which is plaited very 
far back, open and ruffled down the sides, without a 
train, even with the petticoat. The hats are quite a 
different shape from what they used to be : they have 



niing. 



No. 6] Fashions in Philadelphia 1 9 

no slope in the crown, scarce any rim, and are turned 
up at each side, and worn very much on the side of 
the head. Several of them are made of chipped 
wood, commonly known as cane hats ; they are all 
lined : one that has come for Mrs. Bingham is lined 
with white, and trimmed with broad purple ribbon, 




A GENTLEMAN OF THE REPUBLIC. 



put round in large puffs, with a bow on the left side. 
The bonnets are all open on the top, through which 
the hair is passed, either up or down as you fancy, 
but latterly they wear it more up than down; it is 
quite out of fashion to frizz or curl the hair, as it 
is worn perfectly straight. Earrings, too, are very 



20 



In Town [No. 7 



fashionable. The waists are worn two inches longer 
than they used to be, and there is no such thing as 
long sleeves. They are worn half way above the 
elbow, either drawn or plaited in various ways, ac- 
cording to fancy ; they do not wear ruffles at all, 
and as for elbows, Anna, ours would be alabaster, 
compared to some of the ladies who follow the 
fashion ; black or a colored ribbon is pinned round 
the bare arm, between the elbow and the sleeve. 
Some new-fashioned slippers for ladies have come 
made of various colored kid or morocco, with small 
silver clasps sewed on ; they are very handsome, and 
make the feet look remarkably small and neat. 
Everybody thinks the millinery last received the 
most tasty seen for a long time. 

All our beaux are well ; the amiable Chevalier is 
perfectly recovered, and handsomer than ever. You 
can have no idea, my dear girl, what pleasant times 
I have ; there is the charming Chevalier, the divine 
Santana, the jolly Vicar, the witty and agreeable 
Fatio, the black-eyed Lord Henry, the soft, love- 
making Count, the giggling, foolish Duke, and some- 
times the modest, good Meclare, who are at our 
house every day. We have fine riding parties and 
musical frolics. 



7. A Bride in New York a Hun- 
dred Years ago 

(1800) 

My head is almost turned, and yet I am very 
happy. I am enraptured with New York. You 
cannot imagine anything half so beautiful as Broad- 



No. 7] 



Jf^edding Tour 



2 I 



way, and I am sure you would say I was more romantic 
than ever, if I should attempt to describe the Battery, — 
the fine water pros- 
pect, — you can have 
no idea how refresh- 
ing in a warm evening. 
The gardens we have 
not yet visited ; indeed, 
we have so many de- 
hghtful things to see 
'twill take me forever. 
My husband declares 
he takes as much 
pleasure in showing 
them to me as I do 
in seeing them ; you 
would believe it if 
you saw him. 

I went shopping 
yesterday, and 'tis a 
fact that the Httle 
white satin Quaker 
bonnets, cap-crowns, 
lined with pink or blue 
or white, are the most 
fashionable that are worn. But I'll not have one, for 
if any of my old acquaintance should meet me in the 
street, they would laugh : I would if I were they. 

I have been to two of the Columbia gardens, near 
the Battery, a most romantic place, it is enclosed in 
a circular form and has little rooms and boxes all 
around, with chairs and tables, these full of company ; 
the trees are all hung with lamps, twinkling thtough 
the branches ; in the centre is a pretty little building 




A bride's bonnet. 



2 2 In Town [No. 7 

with a fountain playing continually, and the rays of 
the lamps on the drops of water gave it a cool 
sparkling appearance that was delightful. This lit- 
tle building, which has a kind of canopy and pillars 
all around the garden, had festoons of colored lamps, 
that at a distance looked like large brilliant stars 
seen through the branches ; and placed all around 
were marble busts, beautiful little figures of Diana, 
Cupid and Venus, which by the glimmering of the 
lamps, partly concealed by the foliage, give you an 
idea of enchantment. 

As we strolled through the trees, we passed a box 
that Miss Watts was in. She called to us, and we 
went in, and had a charming refreshing glass of ice 
cream, which has chilled me ever since. They have 
a fine orchestra and have concerts here sometimes. 

We went on toward the Battery. This is a large 
promenade by the shore of the North River : there 
are rows and clusters of trees in every part, and a 
large walk along the shore, almost over the water, 
gives you such a fresh delightful air, that every even- 
ing in summer it is crowded with company. Here, 
too, they have music playing in boats on the water 
of a moonlight night. 

I am in raptures, as you may imagine, and if I had 
not grown sober before I came to this wonderful 
place, it would have turned my head. 



No. 8] Philadelphia Streets 2 3 



Piastre = 
dollar. 



8. Philadelphia Streets in 1802 

By Dr. Francois Andre Michaud (1802) 

I QUITTED New York on the 8th of June, 1802, for 
Philadelphia. The distance is one hundred miles. 
The stages perform this journey, some in one day, 
and some in a day and a half. The price is five 
piastres for each person. At the taverns where the 
stages stop, one piastre is paid for dinner, half a 
one for supper or breakfast, and the same for a bed. 
The whole of the interval which separates these 
two cities is cultivated, and the farms adjoin each 
other. Nine miles from New York is Newark, a 
very pretty little town, in New Jersey. The fields 
with which it is surrounded, are planted with apple 
trees : the cider made here is reckoned the best in 
the United States, but I think it greatly inferior to 
what is drank at Saint Loo, Coutances, or Bayeux. 
Among the other small towns met with on this road 
is Trenton. Its situation on the Delaware, and the 
beautiful country around it must render it a delight- 
ful retreat. 

Philadelphia is situated on the Delaware, one hun- 
dred and twenty miles from the sea. It is at present 
the largest, the handsomest, and the most populous 
city of the United States. There is not perhaps one 
on the old continent built on so regular a plan. Its 
streets, which intersect each other at right angles, are 
from forty-five to fifty feet wide, exxept that in the The present 
middle of the city which is twice that breadth. In it 
is built the market which is worthy of notice for its 
extent and the extreme neatness preserved in it. It 
is in the centre of the city, and occupies about one- 



French 

towns. 



24 I^ Town [No. 9 

third of its length. The streets are paved, and are 
provided with broad bricked footways. Pumps, placed 
on each side of them at about one hundred yards from 
each other, supply an abundance of water. Each of 
them has a lamp on its top. Several of the streets 
have Italian poplars of a very handsome appearance 
planted before the houses. 

The population of Philadelphia is constantly in- 
creasing : in 1 749, there were 1 1 ,ooo inhabitants ; in 
1785, 40,000; and, at present, the number is esti- 
mated at 70,000. The few negroes found here are 
free, and are mostly employed as domestics. Provi- 
sions are a little cheaper at Philadelphia than at New 
York ; the charge for boarding is, consequently, only 
from six to ten piastres a week. In Philadelphia we 
do not meet with any beggars, or any person bearing 
the stamp of misery in his countenance ; this dis- 
tressing sight, so common in the cities of Europe, is 
unknown in America ; the love of and the necessity 
for work, the scarcity of hands, the high price of 
labour, an active commerce, just ideas — all these are 
causes which oppose the introduction of mendicity, 
either in the towns or in the country. 



9. Society in Mexico 

By Major Zebulon Pike (1806) 

For hospitality, generosity, docility, and sobriety, 
the people of New Spain exceed any nation perhaps 
on the globe : but in national energy, or patriotism, 
enterprise of character, and independence of soul, 
they are perhaps the most deficient. Yet there are 



No. 9] Society in Mexico 



25 



men who have displayed bravery to a surprizing 
degree, and the Europeans who are there, cherish 
with dehght the idea of their gallant ancestry. Their 
women have black eyes and hair, fine teeth, and are 
generally brunettes. I met but one exception to this 
rule at Chihuahua, a fair lady, and she by way of 
distinction was called the girl with light hair. Their 
dresses are generally short jackets and petticoats, and 
high-heel shoes, without any head dress : over this 
they have a silk wrapper which they always wear, 
and when in the presence of men affect to bring it 
over their faces ; but as we approached the Atlantic 
and our frontiers, we saw several ladies who wore the 
gowns of our country women, which they conceive to 
be more elegant than their ancient costume. 

The lower class of the men are generally dressed 
in broad-brimmed hats, short coats, large waistcoats 
and small clothes, always open at the knees, owing, I 
suppose, to the greater freedom it gives to the limbs 
on horseback, a kind of leather boot or wrapper 
bound round the leg, somewhat in the manner of our 




fi^^m^ 



■^■^c^:^'^'^^'^ 






A SPANISH MISSION CHURCH. 



2 6 /;/ Tow?i [No. 9 

frontier men's leggins, and gartered on. The boot 

is of a soft pliable leather, but not coloured. In the 

eastern provinces the dragoons wear over this wrap- 

Gaffs=the per a sort of jack-boot made of seal leather, to which 

metal points ^j.^ fastened the spurs by a rivet, the gaffs of which 

on a spur. . ^ ."',., , ,. , 

are sometnnes near an mch m length. But the spurs 
of the gentlemen and officers, although clumsy to our 
ideas, are frequently ornamented with raised silver 
work on the shoulders, and the strap embroidered 
with silver and gold thread. 

They are always ready to mount their horses, on 
which the inhabitants of the internal provinces spend 
nearly half the day. This description will apply gen- 
erally for the dress of all the men of the provinces 
for the lower class, but in the towns, amongst the 
more fashionable ranks, they dress after the Euro- 
pean or United States mode, with not more distinc- 
tion than we see in our cities from one six months to 
another. Both men and women have remarkably 
fine hair, and pride themselves in the display of it. 

Their amusements are music, singing, dancing, and 
. gambling ; the latter is strictly prohibited, but the 
prohibition is not much attended to. The dance is 
performed by one man and two women, who beat 
time to the music, which is soft, but sometimes 
changes to a lively gay air. The fandango is danced 
in various figures and numbers. The minuet is still 
danced by the superior class only ; the music made 
use of is the guitar and violin, and singers accompany 
the music with their hands and voices. 

Their games are cards, billiards, horse-racing, and 
cock-fighting, the first and last of which are carried 
to the most extravagant lengths, the parties losing 
and winning immense sums. The j^resent Com man- 



No. 9] Society in Mexico 27 

dant-General is very severe with his officers in these 
respects, frequently sending them to some frontier 
jiost, in confinement for months, for no other fault 
than having lost large sums at play. 

At every town of consequence is a public walk, 
where the ladies and gentlemen meet and sing songs, 
which are always on the subject of love, or the social 
board. The ladies have fine voices, and sing in 
French, Italian, and Spanish, the whole company 
joining in the chorus. In their houses the ladies play 
on the guitar, and generally accompany it with their 
voices. They either sit down on the carpet cross- 
legged, or loll on a sofa. To sit upright in a chair 
ai)i)eared to put them to great inconvenience, and 
although the better class would sometimes do it on 
our first introduction, they soon demanded liberty to 
follow their old habits. 

In their eating and drinking they are remarkably 
temperate. Early in the morning you receive a dish 
of chocolate and a cake ; at twelve you dine on sev- 
eral dishes of meat, fowls, and fish ; after which you 
have a variety of confectionary, and indeed an elegant 
dessert : then drink a few glasses of wine, sing a few 
songs, and retire to take the siesta, or afternoon nap, 
which is done by rich and poor; and about two 
o'clock the windows and doors are all closed, the 
streets deserted, and the stillness of midnight reigns 
throughout. About four o'clock they rise, wash, and 
dress, and prepare for the dissipation of the night. 
About eleven o'clock some refreshments are offered, 
but few take any, except a little wine and water and 
a little candied sugar. 

The beggars of the City of Mexico alone are esti- 
mated at sixtv thousand souls ; what must be the 



2 8 In Town [No. io 

number through the whole kingdom ? And to what 
reason can it be owing, that, in a country superior to 
any in the world for riches in gold and silver, produc- 
ing all the necessaries of life, and most of its luxuries, 
there should be such a vast proportion of the inhabit- 
ants in want of bread and clothing ? It can only be 
accounted for by the tyranny of the government, and 
the luxuries of the rich : the government striving by 
all the local restrictions possible to be invented, with- 
out absolutely driving the people to desperation, to 
keep Spanish America dependent on Europe. 



IO. Anecdotes of Daniel Webster 

By Josiah Quincy (1826) 

On Friday, February 17, 1820, I find an account of 
a dinner at Mr. Webster's. The occasion was abso- 
lutely informal and very pleasant. Webster carved 
the beef and was in a charming humor. He told 
some good lawyer's stories, and gave us a graphic 
account of the burning of his house in Portsmouth, 
in the winter of 18 13. "Though I was in Washing- 
ton at the time," he said, " I believe I know more 
about the fire than many who were actively at work 
on the spot. Besides, here is Mrs. Webster, who was 
burned out. She will correct me if I am wrong." 
He told us that all he possessed in the world was 
lost, there being no insurance upon house or furniture ; 
but as more than two hundred buildings were con- 
sumed in the fire, some of them belonging to those 
less able to make a living than himself, he felt he had 
no right to murmur. He was, nevertheless, troubled 



No. loj Daniel Webster 2 9 

about the loss of his library. His books were full of 
notes and associations, and could not be replaced. 

The sweet and playful manner of Webster is fixed 
indelibly upon my memory. That manner I cannot 
give, and it was everything. He was on the happiest 
terms with the world, which had crowned him with its 
choicest blessing, and stood forth in all respects as an 
example and a hero among men. 

The conversation was running upon the importance 
of doing small things thoroughly and with the full 
measure of one's ability. This Webster illustrated 
by an account of some petty insurance case that was 
brought to him when a young lawyer in Portsmouth. 
Only a small amount was involved, and a twenty- 
dollar fee was all that was promised. He saw that, 
to do his clients full justice, a journey to Boston, to 
consult the Law Library, would be desirable. He 
would be out of pocket by such an expedition, and 
for his time he would receive no adequate compensa- 
tion. After a little hesitation, he determined to do 
his very best, cost what it might. He accordingly 
went to Boston, looked up the authorities, and gained 
the case. Years after this, Webster, then famous, 
was passing through New York. An important 
insurance case was to be tried the day after his 
arrival, and one of the counsel had been suddenly 
taken ill. Money was no object, and Webster was 
begged to name his terms and conduct the case. " I 
told them," said Mr. Webster, "that it was pre- 
posterous to expect me to prepare a legal argument 
at a few hours' notice. They insisted, however, that 
I should look at the papers ; and this, after some 
demur, I consented to do. Well, it was my old 
twenty-dollar case over again, and, as I never forget 



3 o In Town [nc. io 

anything, I had all the authorities at my fingers' 
ends. The court knew that I had no time to pre- 
pare, and were astonished at the range of my acquire- 
ments. So, you see, I was handsomely paid both in 
fame and money for that journey to Boston ; and the 
moral is, that good work is rewarded in the end, 
though, to be sure, one's own self-approval should be 
enough." 

I may be pardoned for taking from my journal of 
later date another after-dinner story which I heard 
Mr. Webster tell with great dramatic effect. One of 
the party mentioned that a president of one of the 
Boston banks had that morning redeemed a counter- 
feit bill for fifty dollars, never doubting that his signa- 
ture upon it was genuine. This incident led to a 
discussion of the value of expert testimony in regard 
to writing, the majority of our company holding it in 
little esteem. Mr. Webster then came to the defence 
of this sort of testimony, saying that he had found it 
of much value, although experts were like children 
who saw more than they were able to explain to 
others. " And this reminds me," he said, " of my 
story of the tailor. It was a capital case that was 
being tried, and the tailor's testimony was very im- 
portant. He had been called to prove that he made 
a certain coat for the criminal ; and he swore to the 
fact stoutly. Upon cross-examination he was asked 
how he knew that the coat was his work. ' Why, 
I know it by my stitches, of course.' ' Are your 
stitches longer than those of other tailors.-'' 'Oh, 
no ! ' ' Well, then, are they shorter .? ' ' Not a bit 
shorter.' ' Anything peculiar about them .? ' ' Well, 
I don't believe there is.' ' Then how do you dare to 
come here and swear that they are yours .■' ' This 



No. ii] Turkeys hooting 3 1 

seemed to be a poser, but the witness met it trium- 
phantly. Casting a look of contempt upon his ex- 
aminer, the tailor raised both hands to heaven and 
exclaimed, ' Good Lord ! as if I didn't know my own 
stitches ! ' The jury believed him, and they were 
right in doing so. The fact is, we continually build 
our judgment upon details too fine for distinct cog- 
nizance. And these nice shades of sensibility are 
trustworthy, although we can give no good account 
of them. We can swear to our stitches, notwith- 
standing they seem to be neither longer nor shorter 
than those of other people." 



II. A Kentucky Marksman 

By Josiah Quincy (1826) 

I KNEW Larz Anderson, of Cincinnati, well in col- 
lege, and remember when he arrived in Cambridge, 
a small, flaxen-haired boy, accompanied by two com- 
panions from the distant West. They had come all 
the way from Kentucky on horseback, their effects 
being borne in saddle-bags behind the riders. There 
was no public conveyance, the roads were execrable, 
and this manly mode of travelling was then the only 
way of getting to Harvard. 

Oxford Street, in Cambridge, is at present a very 
decorous thoroughfare, not at all adapted to the wild 
sport of turkey-shooting, for which purpose the 
ground it occupies was used when I was in college. 
We stood with our backs to the site of Memorial Hall, 
and discharged rifles, at long range, at a turkey 
which was dimly discernible in the distance. A small 



32 



In Town 



[No. II 



fee was demanded for the privilege of shooting, and 
the turkey was to be given to any one who could hit 
it. But, except for some chance shot, like that made 
by Mr. TujDman when out rook-shooting, it was safe 
to predict that nobody would hit it. The usual end 
of a Harvard turkey-shooting was the departure of 
the proprieter of the turkeys with all his birds and 
all our sixpences. Still there was the excitement of 
a lottery about it, if nothing else. The ball, if dis- 
charged, must strike somewhere ; and, if so, why 
might it not happen to strike the turkey .'' The logic 
was simply irresistible. A fowl of that size would 
be a most desirable addition to the meagre fare fur- 
nished by the college commons ; and so the rifles 
cracked, with small result to the students and splen- 
did profits to the turkey-man. One day a little tow- 
headed fellow appeared on the field, and desired to 
take part in the sport. Though he seemed almost 
too young to be trusted with a rifle, the master of the 

fowls (foreseeing future 
gains) was quite willing 
he should try. He must 
first receive proper in- 
structions about the hold- 
ing and pointing of his 
piece, and then there 
would really be no dan- 
ger. Young Larz re- 
ceived the directions 
with great good nature, 
raised the rifle, and down 
went the turkey. The 
man stared in amaze- 
ment, and then broke 




A WILD TUKKEY. 



No. 12] A Runaway 3 3 

into a smile. " Try it again, young one," said he. 
"'Most any one can throw sixes once, you know." 
Another bird was procured, the ball flew to the mark 
with the same result, and a second turkey was added 
to the banquet upon which his friends would regale. 
" Well, where in " — the United States, let us call 
it — " did you come from t " exclaimed the master of 
fowls, who began to realize that his occupation was 
gone. 

" I came from the State of Kentucky, sir," answered 
Larz Anderson, proudly ; " and next time you meet a 
gentleman from that State, just remember there's not 
much you can tell him about a rifle. That's all." 



12. The Little Boy that ran away 
from Providence 

By Lydia Maria Child (1842) 

Doctor Hawkins of Boston, coming home to 
dine one day found a very bright-looking handsome 
mulatto on the steps, apparently about seven or eight 
years old. As he opened the door, the boy glided in, 
as if it were his home. "What do vou want .'* " said 
the doctor. The child looked up with smiling con- 
fidence, and answered, " I am a little boy that ran 
away from Providence ; and I want some dinner ; 
and I thought maybe you would give me some." His 
radiant face, and child-like freedom worked like a 
charm. He had a good dinner, and remained several 
days, becoming more and more the pet of the whole 
household. He said he had been cruelly treated by 



34 I^ Town [No. 12 

somebody in Providence, and had run away ; but the 
people he described could not be found. The doctor 
thought it would not do to have him growing up in 
idleness, and he tried to find a place where he could 
run of errands, clean knives, &c. for his living. An 
hour after this was mentioned, the boy was missing. 
In a few weeks, they heard of him in the opposite 
part of the city, sitting on a door-step at dinner-time. 
When the door opened, he walked in, smiling, and 
said, " I am a little boy that ran away from Provi- 
dence ; and I want some dinner, and I thought maybe 
you would give me some." He was not mistaken this 
time either. The heart that trusted so completely 
received a cordial welcome. After a time, it was 
again proposed to find some place at service ; and 
straightway this human butterfly was off, no one 
knew whither. 

For several months no more was heard of him. 
But one bright winter day, his first benefactor found 
him seated on the steps of a house in Beacon-street. 
" Why, Tom, where did you come from .? " said he. 
" I came from Philadelphia." " How upon earth did 
you get here .-' " " I heard folks talk about New- York, 
and I thought I should Hke to see it. So I went on 
board a steamboat ; and when it put off, the captain 
asked me who I was ; and I told him that I was a 
little boy that ran away from Providence, and I 
wanted to go to New-York, but I hadn't any money. 
'You little rascal,' says he, ' I'll throw you overboard.' 
' I don't believe you will,' said I ; and he didn't. I 
told him I was hungry, and he gave me something to 
eat, and made up a nice little bed for me. When I 
got to New-York, I went and sat down on a door-step ; 
and when the gentleman came home to dinner, I 



No. 12] A Runaway 3 5 

went in, and told him that I was a little boy that ran 
away from Providence, and I was hungry. So they 
gave me something to eat, and made up a nice little 
bed for me, and let me stay there. But I wanted to 
see Philadelphia ; so I went into a steam-boat ; and 
when they asked me who I was, I told them that I 
was a little boy that ran away from Providence. They 
said I had no business there, but they gave me an 
orange. When I got to Philadelphia, I sat down on 
a door-step, and when the gentleman came home to 
dinner, I told him I was a little boy that ran away 
from Providence, and I thought perhaps he would 
give me something to eat. So they gave me a good 
dinner, and made me up a nice little bed. Then I 
wanted to come back to Boston ; and every body gave 
me something to eat, and made me up a nice little 
bed. And I sat down on this door-step, and when the 
lady asked me what I wanted, I told her I was a little 
boy that ran away from Providence, and I was hungry. 
So she gave me something to eat, and made me up a 
nice little bed ; and I stay here, and do her errands 
sometimes. P^very body is very good to me, and I 
like every body." 

He looked up with the most sunny gaiety, and 
striking his hoop as he spoke, went down the street 
like an arrow. He disappeared soon after, probably 
in quest of new adventures. I have never heard of 
him since : and sometimes a painful fear passes 
through my mind that the kidnappers, prowling 
about all our large towns, have carried him into 
slavery. 



36 In Town [No. 13 

13. New Years Day in New York 

By Lydia Maria Child (1842) 

New York welcomes the new year, in much the 
same style that she does every thing else. She is 
not prone, as the Quakers say, "to get into the still- 
ness," to express any of her emotions. Such a hub- 
bub as was kept up on the night of the 31st, I never 
heard. Such a firing out of the old year, and such a 
firing in of the new ! Fourth of July in Boston is 
nothing compared to it. The continual discharge of 
guns and pistols prevented my reading or writing in 
peace, and I took refuge in bed ; but every five min- 
utes a lurid flash darted across the walls, followed 
by the hateful crash of fire-arms. If any good thing 
is expressed by that sharp voice, it lies beyond the 
power of my imagination to discover it ; why men 
should choose it for the utterance of joy, is more than 
I can tell. 

The racket of these powder-devilkins kept me 
awake till two o'clock. At five, I was roused by a 
stout Hibernian voice, almost under my window, 
shouting " Pa-ther ! Pa-ther ! " Peter did not an- 
swer, and off went a pistol. Upon this, Peter was 
fain to put his head out of the window, and inquire 
what was wanted. " A bright New Year to ye, 
Pa-ther. Get up and open the door." 

The show in the shop-windows, during the week 
between Christmas and New Year's, was splendid, I 
assure you. All that Parisian taste, or English skill 
could furnish, was spread out to tem}:)t the eye. How 
I did want the wealth of Rothschild, that I might 
make all the world a present, and then, methinks, I 



1 



No. 13] 



Old New York 



37 



could still long for another world to endow. The 
happiness of Heaven must consist in loving and giv- 
ing. What else is there worth living for.'' I have 
often involuntarily applied to myself a remark made 
by Madam Roland. " Reflecting upon what part I 
was fitted to perform in the world," says she, " I could 
never think of any that quite satisfied me, but that 
of Divine Providence." To some this may sound 




NEW YORK IN 182O. 



blasphemous ; it was however merely the spontane- 
ous and child-like utterance of a loving and liberal 
soul. 

In New York, they observe this festival after the 
old Dutch fashion ; and the Dutch, you know, were 
famous lovers of good eating. No lady, that is a 
lady, will be out on the streets on the first of Janu- 
ary. Every woman, that is "anybody," stays at 



38 



In Town [No. 13 



home, dressed in her best, and by her side is a table 
covered with cakes, preserves, wines, oysters, hot 
coffee, &c. ; and as every gentleman is in honour 
bound to call on every lady, whose acquaintance 
he does not intend to cut, the amount of eating and 
drinking done by some fashionable beaux must of 
course be very considerable. The number of calls is 
a matter of pride and boasting among ladies, and 
there is, of course, considerable rivalry in the magnifi- 
cence and variety of the eating tables. This custom 
is eminently Dutch in its character, and will pass 
away before a higher civilization. 

To furnish forth this treat, the shops vied with 
each other to the utmost. Confectionery abounded 
in the shape of every living thing ; beside many 
things nowhere to be found, not even among gnomes, 
or fairies, or uncouth merrows of the sea. Cakes 
were of every conceivable shape — pyramids, obe- 
lisks, towers, pagodas, castles, &c. Some frosted 
loaves nestled lovingly in a pretty basket of sugar 
eggs ; others were garlanded with flowers, or sur- 
mounted by cooing doves, or dancing cupids. Alto- 
gether, they made a pretty show in Broadway — too 
pretty — since the object was to minister to heartless 
vanity, or tempt a sated appetite. 

There is one lovely feature in this annual festival. 
It is a season when all past neglect, all family feuds, 
all heart-burning and estrangement among friends 
may be forgotten and laid aside for ever. They who 
have not spoken for years may renew acquaintance, 
without any unpleasant questions asked, if they sig- 
nify a wish to do so by calling on the first of January. 



No. 14] House-cleaning 3 9 

14. House-cleaning 

By Franxis HopKixsoN (1785) 

When a young couple are about to enter on the 
matrimonial state, a never failing article in the 
marriage treaty is, that the lady shall have and enjoy 
the free and unmolested exercise of the rights of 
white-washing, with all its ceremonials, privileges, 
and appurtenances. You will wonder what this 
privilege of white-washing is. I will endeavour to 
give you an idea of the ceremony, as I have seen it 
performed. 

There is no season of the year in which the lady 
may not, if she pleases, claim her privilege ; but the 
latter end of May is generally fixed upon for the 
purpose. The attentive husband may judge by cer- 
tain prognostics, when the storm is nigh at hand. 
If the lady grows uncommonly fretful, finds fault with 
the servants, is discontented with the children, and 
complains much of the nastiness of everything about 
her : these are symptoms which ought not to be neg- 
lected, yet they sometimes go off without any further 
effect. But if, when the husband rises in the morn- 
ing, he should observe in the yard, a wheelbarrow, 
with a quantity of lime in it, or should see certain 
buckets filled with a solution of lime in water, there 
is no time for hesitation. He immediately locks up 
the apartment or closet where his papers, and private 
property are kept, and putting the key in his pocket, 
betakes himself to flight. A husband, however be- 
loved, becomes a perfect nuisance during this season 
of feminine rage. His authority is superseded, his 
commission suspended, and the very scullion who 



40 In Town [no. m 

cleans the brasses in the kitchen becomes of more 
importance than him. He has nothing for it but 
to abdicate, for a time, and run from an evil which 
he can neither prevent nor modify. 

The husband gone, the ceremony begins. The 
walls are stripped of their furniture — paintings, 
prints, and looking-glasses lie in huddled heaps 
about the floors : the curtains are torn from their 
testers, the beds crammed into windows, chairs and 
tables, bedsteads and cradles crowd the yard ; and 
the garden fence bends beneath the weight of car- 
pets, blankets, cloth cloaks, old coats, under-petti- 
coats, and ragged breeches. 

This ceremony completed, and the house thor- 
oughly evacuated, the next operation is to smear the 
walls and ceilings with brushes, dipped in a solution 
of lime called white-wash ; to pour buckets of water 
over every floor, and scratch all the partitions and 
wainscoats with hard brushes, charged with soft 
soap and stone-cutter's sand. 

The windows by no means escape the general 
Pent-house= dcluge. A servant scrambles out upon the pent- 
a shed or housc, at the risk of her neck, and with a mug in 
projecting her hand, and a bucket within reach, dashes innu- 
from the mcrablc gallons of water against the glass panes, 

main wall or , , , , r • ^.u i. «. 

buiidin<r. ^o the great annoyance of passengers in the street. 
I have been told that an action at law was once 
brought against one of these water nymphs, by a 
person who had a new suit of clothes spoiled by this 
operation : but after long argument it was deter- 
mined, that no damages could be awarded ; inas- 
much as the defendant was in the exercise of a legal 
right, and not answerable for the consequences. 
And so the poor gentleman was doubly non-suited ; 



No. 14] House- cleaning 4 1 

for he lost both his suit of clothes and his suit at 
law. 

These smearings and scratchings, these washings 
and dashings, being duly performed, the next cere- 
monial is to cleanse and replace the distracted fur- 
niture. You may have seen a house-raising, or a 
ship-launch — recollect, if you can, the hurry, bustle, 
confusion, and noise of such a scene, and you will 
have some idea of this cleansing match. The mis- 
fortune is, that the sole object is to make things 
clean. It matters not how many useful, ornamen- 
tal, or valuable articles suffer mutilation or death 
under the operation. A mahogany chair and a 
carved frame undergo the same discipline : they are 
to be made clean at all events ; but their preserva- 
tion is not worthy of attention. For instance : a fine 
large engraving is laid flat upon the floor ; a number 
of smaller prints are piled upon it, until the super- 
incumbent weight cracks the lower glass — but this 
is of no importance. A valuable picture is placed 
leaning against the sharp corner of a table ; others 
are made to lean against that, till the pressure of the 
whole forces the corner of the table through the 
canvas of the first. The frame and glass of a fine 
print are to be cleaned ; the spirit and oil used on 
this occasion are suffered to leak through and deface 
the engraving — no matter ! If the glass is clean 
and the frame shines it is sufficient — the rest is not 
worthy of consideration. An able arithmetician hath 
made a calculation, founded on long experience, and 
proved that the losses and destruction incident to 
two white-washings are equal to one removal and 
three removals equal to one fire. 

This cleansing frolic over, matters begin to resume 



42 In Town [no. 14 

their pristine appearance ; the storm abates, and all 
would be well again : but it is impossible that so 
great a convulsion in so small a community should 
pass over without producing some consequences. 
For two or three weeks after the operation, the fam- 
ily are usually afflicted with sore eyes, sore throats, 
or severe colds, occasioned by exhalations from wet 
floors and damp walls. 



PART/ II 

IN THE COUNTRY 



15. A Visit to Mount Vernon 

By Brissot de Warville (1788) 

I HASTENEp to arrive at Mount Vernon, the scat of 
General Washington, ten miles below Alexandria on 
the same river. On this route you traverse a consider- 
able wood, and after having passed over two hills, 
you discover a country house of an elegant and 
majestic simplicity. It is preceded by grass plats; 
on one side of the avenue aVe the stables, on the 
other a green-house, and houses for a number of 
negro mechanics. In a spacibus back yard are 
turkies, geese, and other poultry. This house 
overlooks the Potowmack, enjoys an extensive pros- 
pect, has a vast and elevated portico on the front 
next the river, and a convenient distribution of the 
apartments within. 

The General came home in the evening, fatigued 
with having been to lay out a new road in some part 
of his plantations. You have often heard him com- The Roman 
pared to Cincinnatus ; the comparison is doubtless 
just. This celebrated General is nothing more at power to 
present than a good farmer, constantly occupied in return tohis 
the care of his farm and the improvement of culti- 

45 



Dictator who 
gave up his 



+6 



In the Country 



[No. 15 



vation. He has lately built a barn, one hundred 
feet in length and considerably more in breadth, 
destined to receive the productions of his farm, and 
to shelter his cattle, horses, asses, and mules. It is 
built on a plan sent him by that famous English 
farmer, Arthur Young. But the General has much 
improved the plan. 




THE BANQUET HALL AT MOUNT VERNON. 



This building is in brick, it cost but three hundred 
pounds ; I am sure in France it would have cost 
three thousand. He planted this year eleven hun- 
dred bushels of potatoes. All this is new in Vir- 
ginia, where they know not the use of barns, and 
where they lay up no provisions for their cattle. 
His three hundred negroes are distributed in differ- 
ent log houses, in different parts of his plantation, 
which in this neighbourhood consists of ten thousand 
acres. Colonel Humphreys, that poet of whom I have 
spoken, assured me that the General possesses, in 



No. i5] 



T/ie Settler 



M 



different parts of the country, more than two hundred 
thousand acres. 

Every thing has an air of simpHcity in his house ; 
his table is good, but not ostentatious ; and no devi- 
ation is seen from regularity and domestic economy. 
Mrs. Washington superintends the whole, and joins 
to the qualities of an excellent house-wife, that simple 
dignity which ought to characterize a woman, whose 
husband has acted the greatest part on the theatre 
of human affairs ; while she possesses that amenity, 
and manifests that attention to strangers, which ren- 
der hospitality so charming. The same virtues are 
conspicuous in her interesting niece ; but unhappily 
she appears not to enjoy good health. 

M. de Chastellux has mingled too much of the 
brilliant in his portrait of General Washington. His 
eye bespeaks great goodness of heart, manly sense 
marks all his answers, and he sometimes animates in 
conversation, but he has no characteristic features ; 
which renders it difficult to seize him. He announces 
a profound discretion, and a great diffidence in him- 
self ; but at the same time, an unshakable firmness 
of character, when once he has made his decision. 
His modesty is astonishing to a Frenchman ; he 
speaks of the American war, and of his victories, 
as of things in which he had no direction. 



Washington 
was one of 
the most far- 
sighted busi- 
ness men of 
his time. 



A French 
officer. For 
the account 
of Washing- 
ton see 
Volume II 
of these 
readers. 



1 6. From Poverty to Prosperity 

By Brissot de Warville (1788) 

He who begins a settlement in the woods, is gen- 
erally a man who has lost his fortune and his credit 
in the cultivated part of the state. He emigrates in 



48 In the Country [no. 16 

the month of April. His first work is to build a 
little cabin for himself and family ; the roof is of 
rough hewn wood, the floor of earth. It is lighted 
by the door, or sometimes by a little window with 
oiled paper. A more wretched building adjoining it 
gives shelter to a cow and two miserable horses. 
This done, he attacks the trees that surround his 
cabin. To extirpate them by the root, would re- 
quire too much labour. He contents himself by cut- 
ting them at two or three feet from the ground. The 
space thus cleared is then plowed, and planted with 
Indian corn. The soil, being new, requires little cul- 
ture ; in the month of October it yields a harvest of 
forty or fifty bushels the acre. Even from the month 
of September, this corn furnishes a plentiful and 
agreeable nourishment to his family. 

Hunting and fishing, with a little grain, suffice, 
during the winter, for the subsistence of his family ; 
while the cow and horses of our planter feed on the 
poor wild grass, or the buds of trees. During the 
first year, he suffers much from cold and hunger ; 
but he endures it without repining. Being near the 
savages, he adopts their manners; his fatigue is vio- 
lent, but it is suspended by long intervals of repose: 
his pleasures consist in fishing and hunting ; he eats, 
drinks, and sleeps in the filth of his little cabin. 

Thus roll away the first three years of our planter 
in laziness, independence, the variation of pleasure, 
and of labour. But population increases in his neigh- 
bourhood, and then his troubles begin. His cattle 
could before run at large ; but now his neighbours 
force him to retain them within his little farm. 
Formerly the wild beasts gave subsistence to his 
family ; they now fly a country which begins to be 



No. i6] The Settler 



49 



peopled by men, and consequently by enemies. An 
increasing society brings regulations, taxes, and the 
parade of laws ; and nothing is so terrible to our 
independent planter as all these shackles. He will 
not consent to sacrifice a single natural right for all 
the benefits of government ; he abandons then his 
little estabhshment, and goes to seek a second re- 
treat in the wilderness, where he can recommence 
his labours, and prepare a farm for cultivation. Such 
are the charms of independence, that many men have 
begun the clearing of farms four times in different 
parts of this State. 

The labour bestowed by the first planter gives some 
value to the farm, which now comes to be occupied 
by a man of the second class of planters. He begins 
by adding to his cabin a house. A saw-mill in the 
neighbouring settlement, furnishes him with boards. 
His house is covered with shingles, and is two stories 
high. He makes a little meadow, plants an orchard 
of two of three hundred apple-trees. His stable is 
enlarged ; he builds a spacious barn of wood, and 
covers it with rye-straw. Instead of planting only 
Indian corn, he cultivates wheat and rye ; the last is 
destined to make whisky. But the planter manages 
ill ; his fields are badly plowed, never manured, and 
give but small crops. His cattle break through his 
fences, destroy his crops, and often cut off the hopes 
of the year. His horses are ill fed, and feeble ; 
his cattle often die with hunger in the spring ; his 
house and his farm give equal proofs of the want of 
industry ; the glass of his windows has given place 
to old hats and rags. This man is fond of company ; 
he drinks to excess ; passes much of his time in dis- 
puting about politics. Thus he contracts debts, and 



5 o In the Country [no. i6 

is forced, after some years, to sell his plantation to a 
planter of the third and last class. 

This is ordinarily a man of property, and of a 
cultivated mind. His first object is to conv^ert into 
meadow all his land, on which he can conduct water. 
He then builds a barn of stone, sometimes a hundred 
feet in length, and forty in breadth. This defends 
his cattle from cold, and they eat less when kept 
warm, than when exposed to the frost. To spare the 
consumption of fuel, he makes use of economical 
stoves, and by this he saves immense labour in cut- 
ting and carting wood. He multi})lies the objects 
of culture ; besides corn, wheat, and rye, he cultivates 
bats and buckwheat. Near his house he forms a 
garden of one or two acres, which gives him quanti- 
ties of cabbage, potatoes, and turnips. Near the 
spring which furnishes him with water, he builds 
a dairy-house. He increases the number, and im- 
proves the quality of his fruit-trees. His sons are 
always at work by his side ; his wife and daughter 
quit their wheels for the labours of the harvest. The 
last object of industry is to build a house for his own 
use. This building is generally of stone ; it is vast, 
well distributed, and well furnished. His horses and 
cattle, by their good appearance, their strength, and 
fecundity, prove that they are well fed, and well 
attended. His table abounds with delicate and 
various dishes. His kitchen flows with milk and 
honey. His wife and daughters manufacture their 
clothing. In proportion as he grows rich, he per- 
ceives the value of the protection of the laws ; he 
pays his taxes with punctuality ; he contributes to 
the support of churches and schools, as the only 
n.cans of insuring order and tranquillity. 



I 



No. 17] Connecticut Girls 5 1 

17. Those Fair Connecticut Girls 

By Brissot de Warville (1778) 

CoNNF.CTicuT appears like one continuous town. On 
quitting Hartford, you enter VVetherslield, a town not 
less elegant, very long, consisting of houses well built. 
They tell me it gave birth to the famous Silas Deanc, 
one of the first promoters of the American revolution, 
who from a schoolmaster in this town, was elevated 
to the rank of an envoy from Congress to Europe. 

Wethersfield is remarkable for its vast fields uni- 
formly covered with onions, of which great quantities 
are exported to the West-Indies. It is likewise re- 
markable for its elegant meeting-house, or church. 
On Sunday it is said to offer an enchanting spectacle, 
by the number of young handsome persons who as- 
semble there, and by the agreeable music with which 
they intermingle the divine service. 

New Haven yields not to Wethersfield for the beauty 
of the fair sex. At their balls during the winter, it is 
not rare to see an hundred charming girls, adorned 
with those brilliant complexions seldom met with in 
journeying to the South, and dressed in elegant sim- 
plicity. The beauty of complexion is as striking in 
Connecticut, as its numerous population. You will 
not go into a tavern without meeting with neatness, 
decency, and dignity. The tables are served ])y a 
young girl, decent and pretty ; by an amiable mother, 
whose age has not effaced the agrecableness of her 
features ; by men who have that air of dignity which 
the idea of equality inspires ; and who are not ignoble 
and base, like the greatest part of our tavern-keepers. 
On the road you often meet those fair Connecticut 



52 In the Country [no. is 

girls, either driving a carriage, or alone on horse-back, 
galloping boldly ; with an elegant hat on the head, a 
white apron, and a calico gown ; — usages which prove 
at once the early cultivation of their reason, since 
they are trusted so young to themselves, the safety 
of the road, and the general innocence of manners. 
You will see them hazarding themselves alone, with- 
out protectors, in the public stages — I am wrong to 
say hazarding ; who can offend them ? They are 
here under the protection of public morals, and of 
their own innocence : it is the consciousness of this 
innocence, which renders them so complaisant, and 
so good ; for a stranger takes them by the hand, and 
laughs with them, and they are not offended at it. 



1 8. Mary will Smile 

By William Clifton (1795) 

The morn was fresh, and pure the gale, 

When Mary, from her cot a rover, 
Pluck'd many a wild rose of the vale 

To bind the temples of her lover. 
As near his little farm she stray'd, 

Where birds of love were ever pairing, 
She saw her William in the shade. 

The arms of ruthless war preparing. 
"Though now," he cried, " I seek the hostile plain, 
Mary shall smile, and all be fair again." 

She seized his hand, and " Ah ! " she cried, 
" Wilt thou to camps and war a stranger 

Desert thy Mary's faithful side, 
And bare thy life to every danger } 



No. 19] The Shaking Quakers 5 3 

Yet go, brave youth ! to arms away ! 

My maiden hands for fight shall dress thee, 
And when the drum beats far away, 

I'll drop a silent tear and bless thee. 
Return'd with honor, from the hostile plain, 
., Mary will smile, and all be fair again. 

The bugles through the forest wind. 

The woodland soldiers call to battle. 
Be some protecting angel kind, 

And guard thy life when cannons rattle ! " 
She sung, and as the rose appears 

In sunshine, when the storm is over, 
A smile beam'd sweetly through her tears, 

The blush of promise to her lover. 
Return'd in triumph from the hostile plain. 
All shall be fair, and Mary smile again. 



19. The Shaking Quakers 

By Moses Guest (1796) 

Sunday, October 10. Having heard various ac- The shaking 

counts of the very singular mode of worship prac- Q^'akersor 

11 1 1 nir-ii- ^-\i X Shakers live 

tised by the people called Shakmg Quakers, I incommuni- 

this day went to visit them. I found the house at ties, the men 

which they were assembled, situated nine miles north- i^n separate" 

west of Albany, and two miles from the Mohawk large houses. 

river; it is built of logs, neatly squared, and is fifty ^g^J'n ^g^/*^ 

feet in length, and twenty-four in width, with a chim- industrious 

ney at each end. When I entered this building, I ^^^ weii-to- 

,,11 r 1 . , r , <:'0' iJut at 

beheld twenty-four men dancmg at one end of the present few 



54 1^^ ^^^ Country [no. 19 

young people room, and twenty women at the other. They ap- 
join them, peared to be from the ao^e of fourteen to eighty 

and the sect '- o J 

is dying out. years ; and were formed four deep. Two of their 
elders were singing a song tune, called the rose tree. 
They kept good time, though they frequently trem- 
bled as if much convulsed — this they call the work- 
ing of the spirit. 

After continuing in this way for about an hour and 
a half, the elders stopped singing ; this stopped the 
dancing for the present. The men then put on their 
coats, and they all retired to a house, but a short 
distance from that in which they had been dancing; 
where they partook of some refreshment ; but soon 
commenced singing a kind of gibberish, which they 
call an unknown tongue. They say they can speak 
several different languages, and though the living 
cannot understand them, they are intelligible to the 
departed spirits, with whom they say they hold fre- 
quent converse. 

After about an hour's intermission they assembled 
again, and formed two deep ; they then all sang in 
their unknown tongue, appearing, at times, to be very 
much convulsed. They continued dancing and trem- 
bling half an hour ; then ceased singing, and after 
many heavy sighs and groans, and much twisting 
and trembling, one of their elders, in broken accents, 
muttered out, " Let us, my dear friends, endeavour 
to praise God in the dance; prepare yourselves." 
The men then put off their coats and waistcoats ; 
then after opening their collars, and tying up their 
sleeves, they formed four deep, the women also form- 
ing in the same manner. One of their elders then, 
after groaning and trembling for a few minutes, said, 
" My dear friends, you that are blest with the gift of 



No. 19] The Shaking ^luakers 5 5 

songs, I hope will praise God by singing a few tunes 
for us." Immediately two young men stepped out 
from the ranks, and began to sing, at which time they 
all commenced dancing. 

In this way they continued about an hour, appear- 
ing, at times, very much agitated. They then all 
stopped dancing, and one of their elders, after vio- 
lently shaking his head and arms, thus addressed 
them — " My dear friends, I hope you will endeavor 
to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are 
called ; and praise God for separating you from the 
wicked world ; for in Hke manner as Lot escaped out 
of Sodom, so have you, my friends, escaped, and have 
been separated from the wicked world." He was 
soon seized with a very violent shaking of the head, 
after which, with a heavy sigh and groan, he told his 
trembUng audience that they might put on their gar- 
ments and retire, which they soon did. 

They say that all the churches in the world, except 
themselves, are antichristian. They also say they 
are commissioned to judge the world ; that the books 
are now open ; and that the souls of all those persons 
who have died are daily appearing before them and 
that all who have died in an imperfect state have gone 
to a place of torment, there to pay the debt due to 
divine justice, by suffering in proportion to their sins ; 
and that after passing through several degrees of 
punishment, and paying the whole debt, they then 
appear before them, are acquitted, and sent to heaven. 
If any man comes to them for instruction, whose hair 
is long, they read to such person the nth chapter of 
1st Corinthians, 14th verse; they then inform him, if 
he wishes to be instructed, he must have his hair cut 
short, as he wears the mark of the beast. 



5 6 In the Country [no. 20 

20. Home, Sweet Home ! 

By John Howard Payne (1823) 

'Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, 
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home ; 
A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there. 
Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with 
elsewhere. 

Home, Home, Sweet, Sweet Home ! 

There's no place like Home ! 

There's no place like Home ! 

An exile from home, splendor dazzles in vain, 
O, give me my lowly thatched cottage again ! 
The birds singing gayly, that came at my call — 
Give me them, — and the peace of mind, dearer than 
all! 

Home, Home, Sweet, Sweet Home ! 

There's no place like Home ! 

There's no place like Home ! 



2 1. Incidents in the Life of a 
Bound Boy 

By Asa G. Sheldon (1797) 

On April 14th, 1797, while I was still in my ninth 
year, Mr. Daniel Parker came to my father's house 
to get a boy to live with him. Mother said he 
might take his choice, Samuel or Asa. " I will take 
Asa," he said, "because he is the youngest." Ac- 
cordingly, my father went over with me to the 
Parker place. 



No. 2l] 



A Bound Boy 



57 



I found the family to consist of Mr. Parker, who 
was about forty years of age, and wife, of nearly the 
same age ; David, about eighteen and two daugh- 
ters, Patty and Sally, who were a few years younger. 




AN ox CART. 



Mrs. Parker told me to call her " mother," and cer- 
tainly she acted the part of a mother to me. She 
fed me when hungry ; dried my clothes when wet ; 
cared for my every want ; and when troubles as- 
sailed that she could not alleviate, she pitied and 
sympathised with me. In short, she was as kind as 
my own mother. 

On first entering the house, I found no one at 
home except Mrs. Parker and her two daughters. 
After sitting a few minutes, she said, "You may go 
to the barn and see the calves." There were six of 
them, and I employed the forenoon in cleaning the 
stalls and clearing up. After dinner I went with 
Mr. Parker to split oak butts into wheel spokes. 
Thus ended my first day's servitude. 



58 



In the Country 



[No. 21 



Our spring ploughing that year was done by four 
oxen and a horse, and it was my constant business 
to drive them. In hoeing, the plan was for me to 
take every alternate hill and follow back on the 
same row, thus keeping alongside the men. The 
summer passed pleasantly away. I had the privi- 
lege of attending winter school, and as is common 
for youth, formed a lasting attachment to a school- 
mate — Daniel Putman, a boy nearly my size and age. 

My father needed a cow ; he agreed with Mr. 
Parker to take one for twenty-two dollars, and I was 
to work for him another year, or till the next May, to 
pay for her, and I was to have winter schooling. Mr. 
Parker was so miserly, that he was unwilling to let me 
slide on the ice, because it wore my shoes out ; but 
thanks to Mother Parker's good will, I found frequent 
opportunities to enjoy an hour on the ponds. 

At the commencement of my third year, Mr. Parker 
frequently urged that I should be bound to him, tell- 
ing my father that he would give him twenty dollars 
in cash, and would give me one hundred dollars on 
becoming twenty-one. To this my father agreed, and 
the necessary documents were signed without mother's 
knowledge. Great was her anguish on learning that 
her son was a "bond slave," as she was pleased to 
call it. 

In my fourth year of service, there was no snow 
for sledding till February or March, when a nice fall 
of snow coming, created an ambition in me to drive 
a load of wood to Salem town and sell it. When at 
Salem a baker agreed with me for a load of faggots, 
or twigs bound in bundles, for heating ovens. With 
the hope that Mr. Parker would give me all the 
money if I could contrive to make them without tak- 



No. 2l] 



A Bound Boy 



59 



ing his time, I kept my hatchet in the cow pasture, 
and when I found the cows handily I could make 
eight or ten bundles, and then run and catch up with 
them. If I did not find them readily, I made less, 
and so on. 

I drove the load to Salem, and brought home five 
dollars and eighty cents and gave it to Mr. Parker, 
and he was niggardly enough to offer me twelve and 
a half cents for all my labor, hurry and toil. Mother 
Parker seeing me about to take it, gave a stamp with 
her foot, when the ninepence dropped on the floor, The " New 
and I hastened out of the house. Soon after. Mother ^"f'^"^,. 

Shilling 

Parker went to Salem herself and brought home a was 16% 
nice hat for me, that cost three dollars. There was '^^"'S' ^^^ 

, 1 , . , • /-N the " nine- 

but one other hat worn m town that was so nice. Un pence "was 
presenting it she said, " There Asa, that will do you i2"2 cents. 
more good than ninepence." 

Once in April, when the snow was faUing fast, Mr. 
Parker came to me and said, "If you will leave vine 
stripping and go and get the sheep up, I will pay 
you for it." I did, and found a wee little lamb in 
the snow. Taking off my frock I wrapped it up 
and brought it home. " Now, Asa," said Mr. Parker, 
" if you will make that lamb live, you may have it to 
pay for going after the sheep, and all the ewe lambs 
she has I will keep for you for their wool, and the 
male lambs you may sell to the butchers." All 
night I watched the wee bit of a creature and in the 
morning it was able to draw its own "rations" from 
its dam. 

Early in the autumn, the frigate Essex was to be 
launched. All the boys in the neighborhood were 
going. I wanted to go, but Mr. Parker said no. 
And it was not till several boys had interceded with 



6o In the Country [no. 21 

him that he gave his consent. We started at mid- 
night, eighteen in all, and walked to Salem, saw the 
Essex leave " the home of her birth," and slide gently 
down the greased ways, with her precious cargo of 
curious mortals, anxious to catch the first ride in her 
as she bathed herself for the first time in the briny 
deep. 

Afterwards we walked about town to see the 
"elephant," ate gingerbread and pies, and toward 
night set our faces toward home. It was a most 
formidable journey for boys of our age, and before 
we reached home our fatigue was such that we lay 
down on the ground to rest every half mile. 

In the summer season, brown bread and milk was 
the constant food, for the whole family, morning and 
night. By brown bread is meant bread made of 
rye and Indian meal, raised and baked in large 
loaves in a brick oven. Supper for Saturday was 
uniformly roast potatoes and salt ; no butter was 
used. The winter rations were beef -broth, with 
brown bread crumbled in, and for a change, bean 
porridge. This porridge was made by boiling a 
piece of pork, with a handful of beans, till they had 
become soft and smashed ; these were then dipped 
into dishes with bread crumbled in. Our Sunday 
dinner was invariably baked beans with salt pork, 
and a baked Indian pudding. A little butter was 
allowed for the pudding. 

The Thanksgiving festival was indeed a luxury. 
We commonly had fowls and roasted pork, or spare- 
rib, and plum puddings, with as many as three kinds 
of pies, — mince, apple and pumpkin. We had as 
nice a treat at Thanksgiving then, as they have now, 
and ate it with a greater zest. 



No. 22] Bells 6 1 

My clothes in summer were a straw hat, tow 
shirt and tow trousers. When the mornings were 
cool, I put on my ve^t such as it was, and my frock 
if required. I had no shoes until the ground began 
to freeze. 

For winter I wore striped blue and white wool- 
len trousers, fulled cloth vest and jacket. They were 
commonly made of Parker's or Dave's old cast-off 
ones, which good Mother Parker took care to have 
well mended, much to my comfort. I was never 
allowed an overcoat while I lived there, or a pair of 
boots. I was allowed but one pair of shoes for two 
years. Parker used to tell me, when I went to get 
my foot measured, to put on two pair of stockings, 
and tell the shoemaker to be sure and make them 
large enough to last two years. 

The first year I put old flannel, or baize as it was 
then called, around my feet to keep the shoes from 
slipping and wearing out my stockings. Mr. Parker 
kept shoemaking tools on hand, and when they 
needed repairs, would tap them with old upper stuff Tap=puton 
and fill them full of nails to make them last well; '^^°'^* 
and Mother Parker would make me leggings from 
his old stocking legs. 



2 2. The Bells 

By George Sheldon (i8oo) 

It was the custom in my younger days to toll the 
Passing Bell on the death of any person in the com- 
munity. Nine strokes of the bell at half minute in- 
tervals, announced the death of a man, six that of a 



62 



In the Country 



[No. 22 



woman, and three that of a child. After a short 
pause a succession of quick strokes gave the age in 
years, of the departed. 

As every dangerous sickness was known to the 
whole community, all activities ceased at the first 
peal. In the silence, everybody waited with bated 
breath to the last, to know what family among them 



was now bereaved, 
help was needed 

How long this 
isted, I do not 
discontinued about 
ago. At funerals 
called together by 

Minute strokes 
procession moved 
continued until the 
spoken. Then at 
service was con- 
strokes giving the 

From early times 
bell was a regular 
universally under- 
signal for bed-time, 
written law that every body should give heed to it. 

Custom and courtesy alike demanded that all visit- 
ors who had dropped in to make a call or spend the 
evening, should make a move to do up the knitting 
work or look for the hat, at the first stroke of the 
bell. To any polite request for a longer tarry, the 
sufficient answer was, " Oh, no, the bell is ringing." 
It was an old and common saying on such occasions, 
" It is nine o'clock, time for honest men to go home 
and rogues about their business." 




AN OLD BELFRY. 



and where kindly 
and most welcome, 
custom had ex- 
know, but it was 
forty or fifty years 
the people were 
the tolling bell, 
were given as the 
to the grave and 
closing words were 
a given signal, the 
eluded by rapid 
age of the departed, 
the nine o'clock 
institution. It was 
stood to be the 
and it was an un- 



means 
cover tlie 



No. 22] Bells 6 3 

This was doubtless the Curfew Bell of Old Eng- 
land, established by William the Conqueror, and 
brought over by our fathers. The name " Curfew," " Curfew 
however, was never heard this side of the water. It 
was considered by the Puritan, I suppose, analo- fire, 
gous to dancing round the Maypole, Christmas fes- 
tivity, and other things on account of which the 
emigrant had shaken off the dust from his feet. 

As there were few clocks and fewer watches, the 
nine o'clock bell was a great convenience. Of course 
in cases of calls, or evening parties, the participants 
did not feel obliged to be " tied to the bell-rope." 

To supply the lack of almanacs, as well as of time 
pieces, it was the custom to wind up the nine o'clock 
bell with light, quick taps, indicating the day of the 
month. 

The bell was also rung in summer at twelve 
o'clock M. This was chiefly for the benefit of those 
working in the meadows — generally the larger part 
of the male population. The sound filled the waiting 
ear of tired man and beast with joyful music. 

It was not a summons to home and a hot dinner, 
but to a welcome hour of rest after six or seven hours 
of labor. In planting time there was a team, usually 
two yoke of oxen, though often three or four yoke 
with a horse for leader, a man for plough holder and 
a boy for driver. These had been slowly but steadily 
turning the foot deep furrows. 

The team was first cared for. After being watered 
at the most convenient pond or stream, the oxen were 
chained to the wheels on either side of the cart. They 
were made happy with a bountiful supply of fragrant 
hay from the big bundle. The horse tied on one 
side took his rations over the foreboard of the cart. 



64 In the Country [no. 23 

The hungry men and boys seated themselves on 
the ground under the spreadmg branches of the dinner 
tree, to discuss the contents of the ample dinner box. 

The beef, pork, turnips, and potatoes, the bread 
and butter, the gingerbread and nut cakes, disappeared 
like magic, while the jug of cider passed from hand 
to hand and mouth to mouth. 



23. The Tax on Old Bachelors 

By Seba Smith (about 1830) 

I DREAMED a dream in the midst of my slumbers. 

And, as fast as I dreamed, it was coined into numbers ; 

My thoughts ran along in such beautiful metre, 

I'm sure I ne'er saw any poetry sweeter. 

It seemed that a law had been recently made, 

That a tax on old bachelors' pates should be laid ; 

And in order to make them all willing to marry, 

The tax was as large as a man could well carry. 

The Bachelors grumbled, and said 'twas no use, 

'Twas cruel injustice and horrid abuse, 

And declared that, to save their own heart's blood 

from spilling, 
Of such a vile tax they would ne'er pay a shiUing. 
But the Rulers determined their scheme to pursue. 
So they set all the bachelors up at vendue. 
A crier was sent thro' the town to and fro. 
To rattle his bell, and his trumpet to blow, 
And to bawl out at all he might meet in the way, 
" Ho ! forty old bachelors sold here to-day." 
And presently all the old maids in the town, 
Each one in her very best bonnet and gown. 



No. 24] Trade without Money 65 

From thirty to sixty, fair, plain, red, and pale, 

Of every description, all flocked to the sale. 

The auctioneer then in his labors began. 

And called out aloud, as he held up a man, 

" How much for a bachelor ? who wants to buy ? " 

In a twink every maiden responded — " I — I." 

In short, at a hugely extravagant price. 

The bachelors all were sold off in a trice : 

And forty old maidens, some younger, some older. 

Each lugged an old bachelor home on her shoulder. 



24. Trade without Money 

By William Ashe (1806) 

The storekeepers are obliged to keep every article 
which it is possible that the farmer and manufacturer 
may want. Each of their shops exhibit a complete 
medley, — a magazine where are to be had both a needle 
and an anchor, a tin pot and a large copper boiler, a 
child's whistle and a pianoforte, a ring dial and a clock, 
a skein of thread and trimmings of lace, a check frock 
and a muslin gown, a frieze coat and a superfine cloth, 
a glass of whiskey and a barrel of brandy, a gill of 
vinegar and hogshead of Madeira wine, &c. Hence 
you will perceive that money is not always necessary as 
a circulating medium : however, as farmers and manu- 
facturers advance in business, and find their produce 
more than equal to the wants of their families, they 
contract with the storekeeper to receive the annual 
balance of the latter, either in cash, or in land to an 
equal amount; for though no person cultivates a 
tenth part of the land that he possesses, every one 



66 In the Country [no. 24 

wants to buy more. Thus the great landholders ulti- 
mately absorb all the hard money ; and as they prin- 
cipally reside in the large towns in the Atlantic States, 
the money finds its way back to those, and leaves many 
places here without a single dollar. This causes dis- 
tress to small farmers who supply the markets with 
provisions ; for whatever they have to sell, whether 
trivial or important, they receive in return nothing 
but an order on a store for the value in goods ; and 
as the wants of such persons are few, they seldom 
know what articles to take. The storekeepers turn 
this circumstance to advantage, and frequently force 
on the customer a thing for which he has no use ; or, 
what is worse, when the order is trifling, tell him to 
sit down at the door and drink the amount if he 
chooses. As this is often complied with, a market 
day is mostly a scene of drunkenness and contention, 
fraud, cunning, and duplicity ; the storekeeper deny- 
ing the possession of a good article, till he fails in 
imposing a bad one. I have known a person ask for 
a pair of shoes, and receive for answer that there 
were no shoes in the store, but some capital gin that 
could be recommended to him. I have heard another 
ask for a rifle gun, and be answered that there were 
no rifles, but that he could be accommodated with the 
best Dutch looking glasses and German flutes in the 
western country. Another was directed by his wife 
to bring her a warming pan, smoothing irons, and 
scrubbing brushes ; but these were denied ; and a 
wooden cuckoo-clock, which the children would not 
take a week to demolish, was sent home in their 
stead. I could not help smiling at these absurdities, 
though I believe they deserve the name of imposi- 
tions, till an incident reduced me to the condition of 



No. 25] Robert of Lincoln 67 

those whom I have just described. I rode an excel- 
lent horse to the head of the waters ; and finding him 
of no further use from my having to take boat there, 
I proposed selUng him to the best bidder. I was 
offered in exchange for him salt, flour, hogs, land, 
cast iron, salt pans, Indian corn, whiskey — in short, 
every thing but what I wanted, which was money. 
The highest offer made, was cast iron salt pans to 
the amount of one hundred and thirty dollars. I 
asked the proprietor of this heavy commodity, how 
much cash he would allow me instead of such an 
incumbrance ; his answer was, without any shame 
or hesitation, forty dollars at most. I preferred the 
pans ; though they are to be exchanged again for 
glass bottles at Pittsburg, tobacco or hemp in Ken- 
tucky, and dollars in New Orleans. These various 
commercial processes may occupy twelve months ; 
nor am I then certain of the amount, unless I give 
thirty per cent to secure it. 

The words buy and sell are nearly unknown here ; 
in business nothing is heard but the word trade. 
" Will you trade your watch, your gun, pistols, 
horses .? &c." means, " Will you change your watch, 
gun, &c. for corn, pigs, cattle, Indian meal } &c." 
But you must expect all this from the absence of 

money. 

-♦ 

25. Robert of Lincoln 

By William Cullen Bryant (1849) 

Merrily swinging on brier and weed, 
Near to the nest of his little dame. 

Over the mountain-side or mead, 

Robert of Lincoln is telling his name : 



68 



In the Country 



[No. 25 



Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link, 
Spink, spank, spink; 
Snug and safe is that nest of ours, 
Hidden among the summer flowers. 
Chee, chee, chee. 




BOBOLINKS. 

Robert of Lincohi is gayly drest. 

Wearing a bright black wedding coat ; 
White are his shoulders and white his crest. 
Hear him call in his merry note : 
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link, 
Spink, spank, spink ; 
Look, what a nice new coat is mine, 
Sure there was never a bird so fine. 
Chee, chee, chee. 



No. 25] Robert of Lincoln 69 

Robert of Lincoln's Quaker wife, 

Pretty and quiet, with plain brown wings. 
Passing at home a patient life. 

Broods in the grass while her husband sings : 
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-hnk, 
Spink, spank, spink; 
Brood, kind creature ; you need not fear 
Thieves and robbers while I am here. 
Chee, chee, chee. 

Modest and shy as a nun is she ; 

One weak chirp is her only note. 
Braggart and prince of braggarts is he, 
Pouring boasts from his little throat : 
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link, 
Spink, spank, spink; 
Never was I afraid of man ; 
Catch me, cowardly knaves, if you can ! 
Chee, chee, chee. 

Six white eggs on a bed of hay, 

Flecked with purple, a pretty sight ! 
There as the mother sits all day, 

Robert is singing with all his might : 
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link, 
Spink, spank, spink ; 
Nice good wife, that never goes out. 
Keeping house while I frolic about. 
Chee, chee, chee. 

Soon as the little ones chip the shell, 
Six wide mouths are open for food; 

Robert of Lincoln bestirs him well. 
Gathering seeds for the hungry brood. 



JO In the Country [no. 26 

Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link, 

Spink, spank, spink ; 
This new life is likely to be 
Hard for a gay young fellow like me. 
Chee, chee, chee. 

Robert of Lincoln at length is made 

Sober with work and silent with care ; 
Off is his holiday garment laid, 
Half forgotten that merry air : 
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link, 
Spink, spank, spink ; 
Nobody knows but my mate and I 
Where our nest and our nestlings lie. 
Chee, chee, chee. 

Summer wanes ; the children are grown ; 

Fun and frolic no more he knows ; 
Robert of Lincoln's a humdrum crone ; 
Off he flies, and we sing as he goes : 
Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link, 
Spink, spank, spink ; 
When you can pipe that merry old strain, 
Robert of Lincoln, come back again. 
Chee, chee, chee. 



26. An Old Fashioned Reading 
Book 

This piece is Mrs. Lisviore. You are quite breathless, Charles, 

chosen to where have you been running so violently ? 

poOT readers Ckai'lcs. From the poultry yard, mamma, where I 

children had have been diverting myself with the bravado of the 



No. 26] Reading Book 71 

old gander. I did not observe him till he came tow- three quar- 
ard me very fiercely, when, to induce him to pursue *ersofacen- 

T r I'TTTii 1-11 • 1 turyago.lt is 

me, 1 ran irom him. He lollowed, till, supposing he taken from a 
had beaten me, he returned to the geese, who ap- book called 
peared to receive him with acclamations of joy, cack- tion°"on 'Nat- 
ling very loud, and seeming actually to laugh, and to urai History 
enjoy the triumph of their gallant chief. Children'" °^ 

Emma. I wish I had been with you, Charles ; I 
have often admired the gambols of these beautiful 
birds, and wondered how they came by the appella- 
tion of silly, which is generally bestowed on them. 
I remember Martha, our nursery maid, used often to 
call me a silly goose. How came they to deserve that 
term, mamma } they appear to me to have as much 
intelligence as any of the feathered tribe. 

Mrs. LisjHore. I have often thought with you, 
Emma, and supposed that term, like many others, 
misapplied, for want of examining into the justice of 
so degrading an epithet. 

Charles. What a superb bird this is, Emma; I 
should think it quite a treasure. 

Mj-s. Lis more. It would be a very troublesome one 
to you, Charles, and its loquacious disposition would 
ill accord with the silence requisite for a student. 
But this is indeed a beautiful httle animal ; it is a 
paroquet, and is a native of the Brazils. They are 
more highly prized than any of the species. See how 
rich and variegated its plumage is, what an elegant 
crest adorns its head ! I think it may be called the 
sovereign of birds, at least in point of beauty, and 
its crest its crown. Do you know its character, 
Emma .-' 

Emma. My uncle said he purchased it when very 
young, and has had it in his possession three years ; 



7 2 In the Country tNo. 27 

it is extremely docile, very good natured and amus- 
ing, speaks the English language almost as intelligibly 
as its master, and has a great variety of songs and 
phrases and playful tricks in store, with which it 
endeavours to please. 



27. A Hunter hides from a 
Storm in a Hollow Tree 

By John A. McClung (1777) 

With the Indians nothing can make up for igno- 
rance of the woods. Young Smith, for losing himself, 
was degraded from the rank of a warrior, and reduced 
to that of a boy. Two years afterwards, he regained 
his rank, and was presented with a rifle, as a reward 
for an exhibition of hardihood and presence of mind. 
Soon after he went out to hunt, in company with an 
old chief, and several other Indians. A deep snow 
lay upon the ground, and the weather was tempestu- 
ous. On their way home, some racoon tracks were 
seen in the snow, and Smith was directed to follow 
them and observe where the creatures treed. 

He was thus led off to a much greater distance 
than was supposed, and the hunters were several 
miles ahead of him, when he attempted to rejoin 
them. At first their tracks were very plain in the 
snow, and although night approached, and the camp 
was distant. Smith felt no anxiety ; but his situation 
became critical about dusk. The weather became 
suddenly much colder, the wind blew a perfect hurri- 
cane, and whirlwinds of snow blinded his eyes and 
filled up the tracks of his companions. He had with 



No. 27] 



A Hunter Hides 



73 



him neither a gun, flint, nor steel — no shelter but a 
blanket, and no weapon but a tomahawk. 

For several hours he plodded on, ignorant of his 
route, stumbling over logs, and chilled with cold, until 
the snow became so deep as seriously to check his 
footsteps, and the flakes fell so thick as to render it 
impossible to see where he was going. He shouted 
aloud for help, but no answer was returned, and as 
the storm every instant became more outrageous, he 
began to think that his last hour had come. Provi- 
dentially, in stumbling on through the snow, he came 
to a large sycamore, with a con- 
siderable opening on the wind- 
ward side. He hastily crept 
in and found the hollow large 
enough to accommodate him for 
the night, if the weather side 
could be closed so as to exclude 
the snow and wind, which was 
beating against it with great 
violence. He instantly went to 
work with his tomahawk and cut 
out a number of sticks, which 
he placed upright against the 
hole, and piled brush against it 
in great quantities, leaving a 
space open for himself to creep 
in. He then broke up a decayed 
log, and cutting it into small 
pieces, pushed them one by one 
into the hollow of the tree, and 
lastly crept in himself. With these pieces he stopped 
up the remaining holes of his den, until not a chink 
was left to admit the light. 



Before 

matches were 
invented 
people made 
a fire by 
striking a 
flint on a 
steel and 
catching the 
spark in 
punk. 




SNOW SHOES. 



74 J^^ the Country [no. 27 

The snow, drifting in large quantities, was soon 
banked up against his defences, and completely shel- 
tered him from the storm, which still continued to 
rage with undiminished fury. He then danced vio- 
lently in the centre of his den for two hours, until he 
was sufficiently warmed, and wrapping himself in his 
blanket, he slept soundly until morning. He awoke in 
utter darkness, and groping about, he found his door 
and attempted to push it away, but the snow had 
drifted against it in such quantities, that it resisted 
his utmost efforts. His hair now began to bristle, for 
he feared that he had with great ingenuity contrived 
to bury himself alive. He lay down again for several 
hours, meditating upon what he should do, and 
whether he should not attempt to cut through the 
tree with his tomahawk — but at length he made one 
more desperate effort to push away the door, and suc- 
ceeded in moving it several inches, when a great 
bank of snow fell in upon him from above, convincing 
him at once of the immense quantity which had fallen. 

At length he burrowed his way into the upper air, 
and found it broad daylight, and the weather calm 
and mild. The snow lay nearly four feet deep — but 
he was now enabled to see his way clearly, and by 
following the marks in the bark of the trees, he was 
able to return to camp. He was received with loud 
shouts of joy and congratulation, but not a single 
question was asked until he had despatched a hearty 
meal of venison, hominy, and sugar. 

The old chief, Tecaughnetanego, then presented 
him with his own pipe, and they all remained silent 
until Smith had smoked. When they saw him com- 
pletely refreshed, the venerable chief addressed him 
in a mild and affectionate manner, (for Smith at that 



No. 28] Camp Meeting 7 5 

time, was a mere boy in their eyes) and desired to 
hear a particular account of the manner in which he 
had passed the night. Not a word was spoken until 
Smith had concluded his story, and then he was 
greeted on all sides with shouts of approbation. 

Tecaughnetanego arose and addressed him in a 
short speech, in which his courage, hardihood and 
presence of mind were highly commended. He ex- 
horted the young brave to go on as he had begun, 
and assured him that one day he would make a very 
great man. He told him that all his brothers rejoiced 
in his safety, as much as they had lamented his sup- 
posed death, that they were preparing snow shoes 
to go in search of him when he appeared ; for as he 
had been brought up effeminately among the whites, 
they never expected to see him alive. In conclusion, 
he was promoted again from the rank of a boy to that 
of a warrior, and assured that when they sold skins 
in the spring, at Detroit, they would purchase for him 
a new rifle. And they faithfully observed their 
promise. 



28. A Georgia Camp Meeting 

By Emily Burke (about 1840) 

To the country people in the Northern part of 
Georgia, the season of the annual camp-meeting 
furnishes a date, from which and before which, all 
the most important events of the whole year are 
reckoned. This convocation is to them, what the 
Thanksgiving day is to the New England people, and 
it occurs at about the same time of the year. By it, 
the time for the closing of the summer schools and 



76 hi the Country [No. 28 

commencement of the winter schools is regulated, and 
many business transactions refer to this time, and for 
months previous to an event of so much importance 
to all, every member in the family from the oldest 
to the youngest, anticipated an a.ddition to his or her 
wardrobe. This is so well understood by the city 
merchants and milliners, that they endeavor to make 
their arrangements, if possible, to meet all the de- 
mands upon their stock of fancy and dry goods, during 
this, as I have heard them say, their best harvest-time 
in all the year ; while Christians in anticipation of 
a glorious revival of religion, often recall to mind the 
most eloquent speakers of the past year, and ask who 
are expected to be the coming season ; and the prin- 
cipal topics of conversation among the young and 
gay will be, costly and elegant articles of dress, who 
was the " belle " last year and who probably will be 
this. This rage for dress is not confined to the 
parlor and keeping rooms, but extends w^ith equal 
ardor to the kitchen and field, and you might hear the 
cook at the corn mill and women bending over the 
plough, each saying, she must have a new pair of shoes, 
or a new frock, or a new handkerchief for her head. 

All past events are reckoned from the last camp- 
meeting. For instance, you will hear one woman 
say, she has had a bad cough ever since the camp- 
meeting, such a person was taken sick with a fever 
soon after the camp-meeting, another died or was 
married so many months after the camp-meeting. 

The removal of planters from their summer to 
their winter residences occurs at this time, for the 
hospitable and generous planter of the South, on 
occasions such as I am now describing, not only 
makes provision for the entertainment of his own 



( 



No. 28] Camp Meeting 77 

family and numerous relations, but also for a large 
company of strangers ; therefore he is obliged to 
take with him all those household conveniences that 
are indispensable to the comfort and good order of a 
well regulated family at home. Consequently, they 
make their arrangements, in order to avoid the trouble 
of one extra move in the year, to go with all their 
goods and chattels from their summer homes to the 
camp-ground, and from thence to their winter quarters. 

The camp-ground I visited was a beautiful square 
lot of forest land about one acre and a half in extent, 
laid out amid a native and gigantic growth of oaks 
several miles from any plantation. On every side of 
the square, all fronting the centre, the fathers of the 
principal families constituting these assemblies have 
each their own family residence. These little habi- 
tations are built of logs, having a piazza in front, and 
their number is sufficient to enclose the entire square ; 
while in the background are arranged all the out- 
houses belonging to each, such as the kitchens, stables 
for the horses, as also pens for the swine and folds 
for the herds and flocks, and coops for the chickens, 
all of which have been previously stalled for the com- 
ing slaughter ; and I ought not to forget to mention 
in this connection, the kennels for the hounds and 
watch dogs, which are needed even more at such 
places than on the plantations, and which in many 
parts of Georgia and South Carolina, constitute the 
only police of the place. 

For several days previous to the commencement of 
worship, persons from all quarters within the distance 
of fifteen or twenty miles, are busy in the transpor- 
tation of all kinds of food and articles of furniture : 
chairs, tables, beds and bedsteads, cradles for babies. 



78 In the Country [no. 28 

and coops for chickens, all heaped upon cotton Jer- 
sey carts, together with scores of men-servants and 
women-servants accompanied by a large supply of 
the canine race equally as well pleased as their mas- 
ters with every thing new and exciting, are all on 
the move to the same spot. 

After every article of household furniture is ar- 
ranged in its proper place, as the sailor would say, 
in "sea trim" and every thing reduced to order and 
quiet, the whole scene within the camp-ground as- 
sumes an aspect not only imposing but beautiful and 
romantic in the extreme, and particularly so in the 
evening and during the intervals of worship, when 
hundreds of young and joyous people, richly and 
gaily dressed, could be seen moving in all directions, 
or standing in small groups beneath the shade of 
some wide spreading tree. 

Every man has erected in front of his own house 
a platform about six feet from the ground and four 
or five feet square, upon which is laid earth to the 
depth of about one foot, for the purpose of making a 
foundation for a fire, which is lighted every evening 
as soon as the stars begin to appear. This light is 
kept burning till towards midnight by a constant 
supply of pitch wood furnished by boys whose busi- 
ness it is to see that the whole camp-ground is suffi- 
ciently lighted during the convocation. These great 
fires at this elevation sent forth such a broad and 
brilliant sheet of light in all directions, that those 
who seated themselves in front of their dwellings 
could read with perfect ease without the aid of any 
other light, and while millions of sparks emitted 
from the burning fagots were carried up amid 
wreaths of curlins: smoke and lost among: the thick 



No. 28] Camp Meeti?ig 79 

boughs of the trees. The older members of the 
families would seat themselves beneath the piazzas 
to witness the pastimes of the children, all collected 
together to vie with each other in the dexterity of 
trundling the hoop, throwing the ball, jumping the 
rope or running races. In all these sports the dogs 
sustained a part by no means the least conspicuous, 
with caninish glee running to pick up the fallen hoop, 
bringing back the ball that had bounded too far, and 
in the race, often outstripping all the children. 

The first thing in the morning, just as the sun is 
rising, this sleeping congregation is aroused from its 
slumbers by several loud and long blasts from a hunt- 
ing trumpet, to attend early prayers, consequently 
with a slight attention to the toilet, the members 
of each family are soon collected together for wor- 
ship. I shall never forget the impression made upon 
my mind, the first time I ever had the pleasure of be- 
ing present at one of these scenes. On that morning 
as soon as we were assembled the master of the family 
arose and in a sweet, clear and strong voice, sung, 

"A charge to keep I have, 
A God to glorify." 

We were assembled in that part of the house called 
the " dining hall," the front of which was all open 
to the public view, and as all the other families 
were similarly situated, the songs of praise which 
went up from each could be distinctly heard by all 
the rest, as they resounded that morning through 
every part of the camp-ground. I never expect to 
enjoy another scene like this beneath the skies, but 
in the language of the poet I could sincerely say, 

"My willing soul would stay, 
In such a scene as this." 



PART III 

TRAVELLERS 



29. A Visit to the Natural Bridge 

By the Marquis de Chastellux (1782) 

I AM too near the Natural Bridge to stop at other The Natural 
objects. We set out at nine o'clock in the morning-, Bridge ism 

1 , , 1 1 11 1 r • 1 tl''^ moun- 

and to say the truth, rather heedlessly; tor m these tains of west- 
mountains, where there are either too many or too em Virginia. 
few roads, people always think they have given 
sufficient directions to travellers, who seldom fail to 
go astray. This is the common fault of those who 
instruct others in what they themselves are well ac- 
quainted with ; nor are the roads to knowledge exempt 
from this inconvenience. After riding about two 
miles however, we luckily met a man who had just 
got his horse shod at a neighbouring forge, and was 
returning home, followed by two or three couple of 
hounds. 

We soon entered into conversation with him, and 
what seldom happens in America, he was curious to 
know who I was, and whither I was going. My 
quality of a General Officer in the French service, 
and the desire I expressed of seeing the wonders of 
his country, inspired him with a kind of affection for 

G 81 



82 



Travellers 



[No. 29 



me, and he offered to be our conductor. He led us 
sometimes through Httle paths, at others through 
woods, but continually climbing or descending moun- 




THE NATI;RjVT. liRIDGE. 



tains ; so that without a guide, nothing short of witch- 
craft could have enabled us to find the road. After 
we had thus travelled for two hours, we at last de- 
scended a steep declivity, and then mounted another ; 
during which time he endeavoured to render the 
conversation more interesting. At last, pushing his 
horse on briskly, and stopping suddenly, he said to 
me, " You desire to see the Natural Bridge, don't 
you Sir .'* You are now upon it, alight and go twenty 



No. 29] Natural Bridge 83 

steps either to the right or left, and you will see this 
prodigy." I had perceived that there was on each 
side a considerable deep hollow, but the trees had 
prevented me from forming any judgment, or paying 
much attention to it. 

Approaching the precipice, I saw at first two great 
masses or chains of rocks, which formed the bottom 
of a ravine, or rather of an immense abyss ; but 
placing myself, not without precaution, upon the 
brink of the precipice, I saw that these two buttresses 
were joined under my feet, forming a vault, of which 
I could yet form no idea but of its height. After 
enjoying this magnificent but tremendous spectacle, 
which many persons could not bear to look at, I went 
to the western side, the aspect of w^hich was not less 
imposing, but more picturesque. 

But it is at the foot of these rocks, on the edge of 
a Httle stream which flows under this immense arch, 
that we must judge of its astonishing structure. The 
arch is not complete, the eastern part of it not being 
so large as the western, because the mountain is more 
elevated on this than on the opposite side. It is very 
extraordinary that at the bottom of the stream there 
appear no considerable ruins, no trace of any violent 
laceration, which could have destroyed the kernel of 
the rock, and have left the upper part alone subsist- 
ing ; for that is the only hypothesis that can account 
for such a prodigy. We can have no possible recourse 
either to a volcano or a deluge, no trace of a sudden 
conflagration, or of a slow and tedious undermining 
by the water. 



84 



Travellers [no. 30 



30. A Tavern near the Hudson 

By Marquis de Chastellux (1788) 

Being very dark, it was not without difficulty I 
passed two or three rivulets, on very small bridges, 
and got to Courtheath's Tavern. This Inn is lately 
established, and kept by young people without for- 
tune, consequently the best parts of the furniture are 
the owner and his family. Mr. Courtheath is a young 
man of four-and-twenty, who was formerly a travelling 
dealer in stuffs, toys. The depreciation of paper 
money, or perhaps his own imprudence, so far ruined 
him as to oblige him to leave his house at Morris- 
Town, and set up a tavern in this out of the way 
place, where nothing but the neighbourhood of the 
army can procure him a few customers. He has two 
handsome sisters, well dressed girls, who wait on trav- 
ellers with grace and coquetry. Their brother says, 
he will marry them to some fat, clumsy Dutchmen, 
and that as for himself, as soon as he has got a little 
money, he shall resume his commerce, and travel 
about as formerly. On entering the parlour, where 
these young women sit, when there are no strangers, 
I found on a great table, Milton, Addison, Richardson, 
and several other works of that kind. The cellar 
was not so well stored as the library, for there was 
neither wine, cider, nor rum. The bill they pre- 
sented me the next morning amounted nevertheless 
to sixteen dollars. I observed to Mr. Courtheath, 
that if he made one pay for being waited on by his 
pretty sisters, it was by much too little ; but if only 
for lodgings and supper, it was a great deal. He 
seemed a little ashamed at having charged too high. 



No. 31] Stage Coach 85 

and offered to make a pretty considerable abatement, 
which I refused, content with having shown him, that 
though a foreigner, I was no stranger to the price of 
articles, and satisfied with the excuse he made me, 
that being himself a stranger and without property 
in the country, he was obliged to purchase every thing. 
I learned, on this occasion, that he hired the inn he 
kept, as well as a large barn which served for a stable, 
and a garden of two or three acres, for eighty-four 
bushels of corn a year : in fact, the depreciation of 
paper has compelled people to this manner of making 
bargains, which is perhaps the best of all, but is 
unquestionably an effectual remedy to the present 
disorder. 



31. A Day in a Stage Coach 

By Brissot de Warville (1788) 

I WENT from New York the 25th of August, at 
six o'clock in the morning, and had the North River 
to pass before arriving to the stage. We passed the 
ferry in an open boat, and landed at Paulus Hook : 
they reckon two miles for this ferry, for which we 
pay sixpence, money of New York. 

The carriage is a kind of open wagon, hung wath 
double curtains of leather and woollen, which you 
raise or let fall at pleasure. But the road was so fine, 
being sand and gravel, that we felt no inconvenience 
from that circumstance. The horses are good, and 
go with rapidity. These carriages have four benches, 
and may contain twelve persons. The light baggage 
is put under the benches, and the trunks fixed on 



86 



Travellers 



[No. 31 



behind. A traveller who does not choose to take the 
stage, has a one-horse carriage by himself. 

Let the Frenchmen who have travelled in these 
carriages, compare them to those used in France ; to 




A blAL-L LUACll Ul I829. 



those heavy diligences, where eight or ten persons 
are stuffed in together ; to those cabriolets in the 
environs of Paris, where two persons are closely con- 
fined, and deprived of air, by a dirty driver, who 
torments his miserable horses : such carriages have 
to run over the finest roads, and yet make but one 
Three miles, league an hour. If the Americans had such roads, 
with what rapidity would they travel, since, notwith- 
standing the badness of many highways, they now run 
ninety-six miles in a day. Thus, with only a century 
and a half of settlement, and in the face of a thousand 
obstacles, they are already superior to people who have 
been undisturbed in their progress of fifteen centuries. 
You find in the stages, men of all professions. 
They succeed each other with rapidity. One who 
goes but twenty miles, yields his place to one who 



No. 31] Stage Coach 87 

goes farther. The mother and daughter mount the 
stage to go ten miles to dine ; another stage brings 
them back. At every instant, then, you are making 
new acquaintances. The frequent passing of these 
carriages, the ease of finding places in them, and the 
low and fixed price, invite the Americans to travel. 

The stage-coaches have another advantage, they 
keep up the idea of equality. The member of Con- 
gress is placed by the side of the shoemaker who 
elected him. You see no person here taking upon 
himself those important airs, which you too often 
meet with in France. In that country, a man of con- 
dition would blush to travel in a diligence : it is an 
ignoble carriage ; one who knows not with whom he 
may find himself. Besides, it is in style to run post ; 
this style serves to humiliate those who are con- 
demned to a sad mediocrity. It is then fortunate for 
America, that the nature of things prevents distinction 
in the mode of travelling. 

The son of Governor Livingston was in the stage 
with me ; I should not have found him out, so civil 
and easy was his air, had not the tavern-keepers from 
time to time addressed him with respectful famiharity. 
I am told that the governor himself often uses those 
stages. You may have an idea of this respectable 
man, who is at once a writer, a governor, and a plow- 
man, on learning that he takes a pride in calling him- 
self a New Jersey farmer. 

The American stages, then, are the true political 
carriages. I know that the pctits niaitrcs of France Uandies. 
would prefer a gay well-suspended chariot ; but these 
carriages roll in countries of Bastilles, in countries 
aflflicted with great inequality, and consequently with 
great misery. 



88 



Travellers 



[No. 32 



32. A Troubled Journey 

By Francis Hopkinson (1790) 

Our jaunt had been the daily subject of discussion 
at breakfast, dinner, and supper for a month before 
the time fixed upon for putting it in execution. As 
our daughter Jenny could by no means be left at 
home, many and great were the preparations to equip 
Miss and her Mamma for this important journey; and 
yet, as my wife assured me, there was nothing pro- 
vided but what was absolutely necessary, and which 
we could not possibly do without. 

At last, the long expected day arrived. No 
sooner was it fair day-light, but up started my 
notable wife, and soon roused the whole family. The 
little trunk was stuffed with baggage, even to bursting, 
and tied behind the chair, and the chair-box was 
crammed with trumpery which we could not possibly 
do without. Miss Jenny was drest, and breakfast 
devoured in haste : the old negro wench was called 
in, and the charge of the house committed to her 
care; and the two apprentices and the hired maid 
received many wholesome cautions and instructions 
for their conduct during our absence, all which they 
most liberally promised to observe. 

At length, however, we set off, and turning the first 
corner, lost sight of our habitation, with great regret 
on my part, and no less joy on the part of Miss Jenny 
and her Mamma. When we got to Poole's Bridge, 
there happened to be a great concourse of wagons, 
and carts, so that we could not pass for some time — 
Miss Jenny frightened — my wife very impatient and 
uneasy — wondered I did not call out to those im- 



No. 32] Troubled yourney 89 

pudent fellows to make way for us. Having got 
through this difficulty, we proceeded without obstruc- 
tion — my wife in good humour — Miss Jenny in high 
spirits. At Kensington fresh troubles arise — " Bless 
me, Miss Jenny," says my wife, "where is the band- 
box.'' " " I don't know. Mamma; the last time I saw 
it, it was on the table in your room." What's to be 
done .'' the band-box is left behind — it contains Miss 
Jenny's new wire-cap — there is no possibility of doing 
without it — As well no New York as no wire-cap 
— there is no alternative, we must even go back 
for it. 

Teased and mortified as I was, my good wife 
administered consolation by observing, " That it was 
my business to see that every thing was put into the 
chair that ought to be, but there was no depending 
upon me for any thing; and that she plainly saw I 
undertook this journey with an ill-will, merely because 
she had set her heart upon it." Silent patience was 
my only remedy. An hour and an half restored to us 
this essential requisite — the wire-cap, and brought us 
back to the place where we first missed it. 

After innumerable difficulties and unparalleled dan- 
gers, occasioned by ruts, stumps, and tremendous 
bridges, we arrived at Neshamony ferry : but how to 
cross it was the question. My wife protested that 
neither she nor Jenny would go over in the boat with 
the horse. I assured her that there was not the least 
danger ; that the horse was as quiet as a dog, and 
that I would hold him by the bridle all the way. 
These assurances had little weight : the most forcible 
argument was that she must go that way or not 
at all, for there was no other boat to be had. Thus 
persuaded, she ventured in — The flies were trouble- 



90 



Travellers [no. 32 



some — the horse kicked — my wife in panics — Miss 
Jenny in tears. 

As we started pretty early, and as the days were 
long, we reached Trenton by two o'clock. Here 
we dined. My wife found fault with every thing ; 
and whilst she disposed of what I thought a toler- 
able hearty meal, declared there was nothing fit to 
eat. Matters, however, would have gone on pretty 
well, but Miss Jenny began to cry with the toothache. 

After dinner we again entered upon our journey 
— my wife in good humour — Miss Jenny's tooth- 
ache much easier — various chat — I acknowledge 
every thing my wife says for fear of discomposing 
her. We arrive in good time at Princeton. My wife 
and daughter admire the College. We refresh our- 
selves with tea, and go to bed early, in order to be up 
by times for the next day's expedition. 

In the morning we set off again in tolerable good 
humour, and proceeded happily as far as Rocky-hill. 
Here my wife's fears and terrors returned with great 
force. I drove as carefully as possible ; but coming 
to a place where one of the wheels must unavoidably 
go over the point of a small rock, my wife, in a great 
fright, seized hold of one of the reins, which happen- 
ing to be the wrong one, she pulled the horse so as to 
force the wheel higher up the rock than it would 
otherwise have gone, and overset the chair. We were 
all tumbled hickledy-pickledy, into the road — Miss 
Jenny's face all bloody — the woods echo to her cries 
■ — my wife in a fainting fit — and I in great misery. 
Matters begin to mend — my wife recovers — Miss 
Jenny has only received a slight scratch on one of 
her cheeks — the horse stands quite still, and none 
of the harness broke. Matters grew worse again ; 



No. 32] Troubled yourney 9 1 

the twine with which the band-box was tied had broke 
in the fall, and the aforesaid wire-cap lay soaking in 
a nasty mud-puddle — grievous lamentations over the 
wire-cap — all my fault because I did not tic it better 
— no remedy — no wire-caps to be bought at Rocky- 
hill. 

After passing unhurt over the imminent dangers of 
Passaiack and Hackensack rivers, and the yet more 
tremendous horrors of Pawlas Hook ferry, we arrived, 
at the close of the third day, at cousin Snip's in the 
city of New York. 

Here we sojourned a tedious week ; my wife spent 
as much money as would have maintained my family 
for a month at home, in purchasing a hundred use- 
less articles which we could not possibly do without. 

On the seventh day my wife declared that my 
business would not admit of a longer absence from 
home — and so after much ceremony, in which my 
wife was by no means exceeded by her polite cousin, 
we left the famous city of New York ; and I with 
heart-felt satisfaction looked forward to the happy 
period of our safe arrival in Water-street, Philadelphia. 

But this blessing was not to be obtained without 
much vexation and trouble — we were caught in a 
thunder storm — our horse failed, by which we were 
benighted three miles from our stage — my wife's 
panics returned — Miss Jenny howled, and how very 
miserable I was made. Suffice it to say, that, after 
many distressing disasters, we arrived at the door of 
our own habitation in Water-street. 



92 Travellers [no. 33 

33. Travelling by Canoes 

By Isaac Weld (1796) 

Had it been practicable, it was our intention to 
have proceeded from Bath by water; but finding that 
it was not, we once more set off on foot, and pursued 
our way along the banks of the river till we came to 
a small village of eight or ten houses, called New- 
town, about thirty miles distant from Bath. Here 
we found the stream tolerably deep, and the people 
informed us, that excepting at one or two narrow 
shoals, they were certain that in every part of it, 
lower down, there was sufficient water for canoes ; 
accordingly, determined to be our own watermen, as 
we were five in number including our servants, we 
purchased a couple of canoes from two farmers, who 
lived on the banks of the river, lashed them together, 
in order to render them more steady and safe, put our 
baggage on board, and boldly embarked. 

It was about three o'clock on a remarkably clear 
though cold afternoon that we left the village, and 
as the current was strong, we hoped to be able to 
reach before night a tavern, about six miles below 
Newtown. For the first two miles we got on ex- 
tremely well ; but beyond this the river proving to 
be much shallower than we had been led to believe, 
we found it a matter of the utmost difficulty to pro- 
ceed. Our canoes repeatedly struck upon the shoals, 
and so much time was consumed in setting them again 
free, that before we had accomplished more than two- 
thirds of our voyage the day closed. 

As night advanced a very sensible change was 
observable in the weather ; a heavy shower of hail 



No. 33] Canoes 9 3 

came pouring clown, and involved us in thick dark- 
ness, while the moon was obscured by a cloud ; our 
canoes were drifted on a bank in the middle of the 
river by the current. In endeavouring to extricate 
ourselves unfortunately, owing to the darkness, we 
took a wrong direction; and at the end of a few min- 
utes found our canoes so firmly wedged in the gravel 
that it was impossible to move them. Nothing now 
remained to be done but for every one of us to jump 
into the water, and to put his shoulder to the canoes. 
This we accordingly did, and having previously un- 
lashed them in order to render them more manageable, 
we in a short time contrived to haul one of them into 
deep water. Here, however, the rapidity of the cur- 
rent was so great, that notwithstanding all our en- 
deavours to the contrary, the canoe was forcibly 
swept away from us, and in the attempt to hold it 
fast we had the misfortune to see it nearly filled with 
water. 

Deprived thus of one of our canoes, and of a great 
part of our baggage in it, which, for aught we knew, 
was irrecoverably lost, we determined to proceed 
more cautiously with the remaining one ; we returned, 
therefore, to the bank, and carried every thing that 
was in the canoe on our shoulders to the shore, 
which was about forty yards distant ; no very easy or 
agreeable task, as the water reached up to our waists, 
and the current was so strong that it was with the 
utmost difficulty we could keep our feet. As soon 
as the canoe was emptied, we brought it, as nearly as 
we could guess, to the spot where the other one had 
been swept away from us ; and one of the party then 
got into it with a paddle, and we committed it to the 
stream, hoping that it would be carried down after 



94 



Travellers [no, 33 



the other, and that thus we should be able to recover 
both with the thmgs which they contained. 

In a few seconds the stream carried the canoe out 
of our sight, for the moon shone but faintly through the 
clouds, and as the men were all totally unacquainted 
with the river, we could not but feel some concern 
for the personal safety of our companion. Before 
many minutes elapsed, we had the satisfaction of 
hearing his voice at a distance, and as soon as we 
could make our way along the shore to the spot 
whence the sound proceeded, we had the satisfaction 
to find that he had been carried in safety close beside 
the canoe which had been lost. We were not a little 
pleased also at finding our portmanteaus at the bot- 
tom of the canoe, though well soaked in water ; but 
such of our clothes as we had taken off preparatory 
to going into the water, together with several light 
articles, were all lost. 

It froze so hard that in a few minutes our port- 
manteaus, and such of our garments as had been wet, 
were covered with a coat of ice, and our limbs were 
quite benumbed, in consequence of our having waded 
so often through the river. Desirous, as we were to 
get to a house, we determined first of all, to put our 
baggage in a safe place, lest it might be pillaged. 
A deep hollow under some fallen trees seemed well 
adapted for the purpose, and we stowed it there, and 
covered it with leaves, before we advanced forward. 
There were no traces whatsoever of a path in the 
woods where we landed, and for upwards of a mile 
we had to force our way through the bushes along 
the banks of the river ; but at the end of that distance 
we hit upon one, which in a short time brought us to 
a miserable little losr house. At this house no accom- 



No. 33] Canoes 95 

modation whatsoever was to be had ; but we were 
told, that if we followed the path through the woods 
for about a mile farther, we should come to a wagon 
road, upon which we should find another house, where 
probably we might gain admittance. We reached this 
house according to the directions we had received and 
readily gained admittance ; the blaze of an immense 
wood fire, piled half way up the chimney, soon made 
us amends for what we had suffered. 

The cold of the air, together with the fatigue 
which we had gone through in the course of the 
day, had by this time given a keen edge to our appe- 
tites. No sooner had we warmed ourselves than we 
began to make enquiries about what we could get to 
satisfy the calls of hunger; but had we asked for a 
sheep or an ox for supper at an inn in England, the 
man of the house could not, I verily believe, have 
been more amazed than was our American landlord 
at these enquiries : " The women were in bed " — 
" He knew not where to find the keys " — " He did 
not beheve there was any thing in the pantry" — • 
" Provisions were very scarce in the country" — "If 
he gave us any there would not be enough for the 
family in the morning " — Such were his answers to 
us. However we plied him so closely, and gave him 
such a pitiable description of our sufferings, that at 
length he was moved ; the keys were found, the 
pantry opened, and. to satisfy the hunger of five 
hungry young men,' two little flour cakes, scarcely as 
big as a man's hand each, and about a pint and a half 
of milk, were brought forth. He vowed he could give 
us nothing more ; his wife would never pardon him 
if he did not leave enough for their breakfasts in the 
morning. Obliged therefore to remain satisfied, we 



96 



Travellers [No. 33 



ate our little pittance, and then laid ourselves down 
to rest on our furs, which we had brought with us on 
our shoulders. 

In the morning we found our canoes and baggage 
just as we had left them. We embarked once more, 
and made the best of our way down to the house 
where we had ordered breakfast, which stood on the 
banks of the river. The people here were extremely 
civil ; they assisted us in making fresh paddles, in 
lieu of those which we had lost the night before. 

After breakfast we continued for about seven miles 
down the river, but in the course of this distance we 
were obliged to get into the water more than a dozen 
different times, I believe, to drag the canoes over the 
shoals. By the time we arrived at a house in the 
afternoon, we were completely disgusted with our 
water conveyance ; and had we not been able to pro- 
cure two men, to conduct our canoes to the mouth of 
Tayoga River, where there was reason to imagine 
that the water would be found deeper, we should 
certainly have left them behind us. 

We found no difificulty, in hiring from amongst the 
watermen accustomed to ply on the river, a man that 
was perfectly well acquainted with it. After ex- 
changing our two canoes, according to his advice, 
for one of a very large size, capable of holding us all 
conveniently, we renewed our voyage. 



No. 34] 



The Ohio 



97 



34. A Fiddler on the Ohio 

By James Hall (1820) 

In the early part of our voyage we overtook a flat This gives a 

boat floating down the stream, and in passing, were of^Jfe^l-^e"'^ 

hailed by a person on the roof, who was no sooner the Ohio 

recognized by our boatmen than a murmur of joy ^'^^'"• 
ran throughout the boat. In a few minutes the 
stranger came on board, and was received with a 



i III''!' ;i'" r 




A RIVER SCENE. 



hearty welcome by our men, who saluted him by the 
title of " Pappy." He seemed to be about fifty years 
of age, but his eye had all the fire, and his step the 
elasticity, of youth ; a continual smile lurked among 
his sly features, and the jest was ever on his lips ; 
while an affected gravity, a drawling accent, and a 
kind, benevolent manner, which accorded well with 
the paternal appellation given him by the boatmen, 
marked him as an eccentric being. 



98 



Travellers [No. 34 



" Our Pappy " was a humorist, and his sway among 
his fellow boatmen was unlimited. To the great 
joy of the crew, he was hired for the trip, and has- 
tened back to the flat, to bring, as he expressed it, 
*' Katy and his plunder on board." Katy, whose 
merry voice we soon heard, was no other than a vio- 
lin, and his plunder consisted of a small parcel of 
clothing tied up in a bandanna handkerchief. It was 
I suppose his all — had it been less, " Old Pap " would 
still have been merry ; if it had been infinitely greater 
he would still have joked and fiddled. While others 
worked, he would sit for hours scraping upon his 
violin, singing catches, or relating merry or marvel- 
lous tales. When he chose to labour he went to the 
oar, when inclined to trifle he held off, and no one 
questioned his motions ; but, whether at work or at 
play, he applied himself with all his heart. If the 
boat grounded on a sand-bar, he was the first to 
plunge into the water ; if a point was to be weath- 
ered, or a rapid to be passed, his was always the 
best oar ; if a watch was to be kept at night, who so 
wakeful as he .-* And on such occasions, he would 
fiddle and sing the live-long night. In short, with the 
affectation, and somewhat of the appearance of age, he 
was the gayest, most active, and stoutest man on board ; 
and I was told that there were but few men along the 
river, who would have undertaken to handle "Old Pap." 

This nev/ recruit proved a great acquisition, for, 
like all other merry men, he was the cause of merri- 
ment in others. He kept our own crew in good 
humour, and hailed every boat we passed with some 
stroke of pleasantry. More than once he enacted 
chief musician at dances, at the hovels along shore, 
near which we lay by for the night. 



No. 35] Early Steamboat 99 

35. An Early Steamboat 

By Francis Hall (i8i6) 

I EMBARKED on the Qth of March, in the Paragon 
steam packet, from New York to Albany. The win- 
ter had been less severe than usual, which induced 
the captain to attempt making his way up the Hudson 
earlier than is customary. These steam-boats are 
capable of accommodating from two to three hundred 
passengers ; they are about one hundred and twenty 
feet in length, and as elegant in their construction as 
the awkward-looking machinery in the centre will 
permit. There are two cabins, one for the ladies, 
into which no gentleman is admitted without the con- 
currence of the whole company. The interior ar- 
rangements on the whole, resemble those of our best 
packets. I was not without apprehension, that a din- 
ner in such a situation, for above a hundred and fifty 
persons, would very much resemble the scramble of 
a mob ; but I was agreeably surprised by a dinner 
handsomely served, very good attendance, and a gen- 
eral attention to quiet and decorum. Indeed when 
the cabin was lighted up for tea and sandwiches in 
the evening, it more resembled a ball-room supper, 
than, as might have been expected, a stage-coach 
meal. The charge, including board, from New York 
to Albany, one hundred and sixty miles, is seven dol- 
lars. 

We started under the auspices of a bright frosty 
morning. The first few minutes were naturally spent 
by me in examining the machinery, by means of 
which our huge leviathan, with such evident ease, 
won her way against the opposing current. More 

L.orc. 



lOO 



Travellers 



[No. 35 



interesting objects are breaking fast on the view ; on 
our right are the sloping sides of New York Island, 
studded with villas, over a soil from which the hand 
of cultivation has long since rooted its woodland glo- 
ries, and substituted the more varied decorations of 
park and shrubbery, intersected with brown stubbles 
and meadows ; on our left, the bold features of 
nature rise, as in days of yore, unimpaired, unchange- 
able ; grey cliffs, like aged battlements, tower perpen- 




AN EARLY STEAMBOAT. 



dicularly from the water's edge to the height of 
several hundred feet. Hickory, dwarf oak, and 
stunted cedars twist fantastically within their crevices, 
and deepen the shadows of each glen into which they 
occasionally recede ; huge masses of disjointed rocks 
are scattered at intervals below ; here the sand has 
collected sufficiently to afford space for the wood- 
man's hut, but the narrow waterfall, which in summer 
turns his saw-mill, is now a mighty icicle glittering 
to the morning sun ; here and there a scarcely percep- 



No. 35] Early Steamboat loi 

tible track conducts to the rude wharf, from which 
the weather-worn higger receives her load of timber 
for the consumption of the city. 

Evening began to close in as we approached the 
highlands : the banks on either side towered up more 
boldly, and a wild tract of mountain scenery rose be- 
yond them. The river, which had been gradually 
widening, now expanded into a capacious lake, to 
which the eye could distinguish no outlet ; flights of 
wild fowl were skimming over its smooth surface to 
their evening shelter, and the last light of day rested 
faintly on a few white farm houses, glimmering at 
intervals from the darkening thickets. Ver-Planks 
Point shuts the northern extremity of this first basin ; 
then the river continues its course within a cliff- 
bound channel, until, after a few miles, it again opens 
out amid the frowning precipices of West Point. 
Here are the same features of scenery as at Ver- 
Planks Point, but loftier mountains skirt the lake ; 
and cliffs of more gigantic stature almost hang over 
the gliding sail. 

This was the land of romance to the early settlers : 
Indian tradition had named the highlands the prison 
wit-hin which Manetho confined the spirits rebellious 
to his power, until the mighty Pludson, rolling 
through the stupendous defiles of West Point, burst 
asunder their prison house ; but they long lingered 
near the place of their captivity, and as the blasts 
howled through the valleys, echo repeated their groans 
to the startled ear of the solitary hunter, who watched 
by his pine-tree fire for the approach of morning. 
The lights, which occasionally twinkled from the 
sequestered bay, or wooded promontory, sufficiently 
told that these fancies, like the Indians, who had in- 



I o 2 Travellers [No. 36 

vented or transmitted them, must by this time have 
given way to the unpoetic realities of civihsed Hfe. 

Masses of floating ice, which had, at intervals 
through the evening, spHt upon the bow of our ark, 
became so frequent immediately on our passing West 
Point as to oblige us to come to anchor for the night ; 
a pretty sure prognostic that there was nearly an end 
to our feather-bed travelling. The next morning we 
found ourselves lying close to the flourishing little 
settlement of Newburgh, on the right bank of the 
river. Our captain concluded to terminate his voyage 
here, and moved over to Fishkill, on the opposite 
shore, to give us means of accommodating ourselves 
with conveyances, in the best way we could. 



36. A Canal Trip 

By C. D. Arfwedson (1825) 

On returning to Schenectady, I availed myself of 
a canal-boat on the point of starting for Utica. These 
boats are generally very long, but low, in conse- 
quence of the many bridges thrown across the canal, 
beneath which they must pass. They are fitted up 
with two rooms, one inside the other, taking up the 
whole length of the boat, with small windows on 
the sides. The inner room belonged exclusively to 
the ladies, and was considered as a sanctuary into 
which the profane dared not set foot ; the outer one 
again was used both as a drawing, dining, and bed 
room for the gentlemen. 

When — as was the case now — the number of trav- 
ellers exceeded thirty, the prospect of remaining on 



No. 36] A Canal T?^ip 103 

board twenty-two hours was not very agreeable. It 
was impossible either to walk, to sit, or to lie down. 
Moving about upon deck was out of the question, 
owing to the number of bridges beneath which we 
had to pass ; at every passage it became necessary 
for the whole company to lie down flat, to avoid 
being swept away by the beams of the bridge. As 
soon as we approached one, which happened every 
five minutes, the steersman called out, "Bridge!" 
and at the same instant the company fell prostrate. 
It was ludicrous for a while to take part in this 
manoeuvre ; in the long run, however, it became weari- 
some, and no other alternative was left but to go down, 
by way of change, into the close and narrow cabin. 

Night made our situation still more uncomfortable. 
Although three tiers of beds, one above another, had 
been fitted up on the sides, their number proved 
insufficient ; the floor was covered with mattresses. 
Had I been permitted to select a sleeping place, I 
should unquestionably have preferred a mattress on 
the floor, for the beds on the sides were only slung 
by a cord to the top : had that given way the whole 
sleeping apparatus would have been precipitated to 
the floor; and the consequences might have been 
serious, from the weight of some of the travellers. 
Unfortunately, nearly all had the same idea as my- 
self. The captain, a peaceable man, who wished to 
accommodate every one, saw that it was not in his 
power to do so, except by drawing lots for the berths. 
I drew my number with a trembling hand, and behold ! 
it turned out to be one of the lowest beds on the side. 

The prospect now darkened indeed : to lie down, 
having two other berths occupied by heavy inmates 
above, and only supported by small cords, was not a 



I04 Travellers [no. 36 

pleasant prospect. But what was to be done ? I had 
no other chance but quietly to take my place, unless 
I chose to spend the night on deck ; and this was 
still more objectionable, owing to a heavy rain which 
continued till the following morning. I thought it 
prudent, however, to enter into a conversation with 
the occupants of the upper regions, stipulating that 
they should remain quiet in their berths, and that, if 
a change of position became absolutely necessary, 
they should inform me beforehand of their intention, 
to guard against the possibility of accidents. Imme- 
diately above me lay a young man, who, by his re- 
served and strange behaviour, had already attracted 
my attention ; and above him rested an excessively 
fat man, whose frame took up more room than was 
allotted to two. 

The beginning of the night was rather auspicious ; 
I already felt reconciled to my unpleasant situation, 
and amused myself by listening to the different 
sounds, from the finest tenor to the strongest bass, 
proceeding from the snoring gentry. A sudden 
thump against my side of the boat at length spread 
consternation among the travellers. The shock, 
occasioned by another craft coming too close to ours, 
was so violent, that the beams cracked, and the doors 
flew open. About a dozen sleeping individuals were 
precipitated from the second and third tier on the 
unfortunate beings who were lying on the floor. 
One cord gave way after another. Snoring ceased : 
lamentations filled the room. All were running, 
shoving against each other, and making a noise in 
the dark : confusion, in short, was at its height, until 
the captain reported that there was no danger, and 
the berths were soon aijain in use. 




FANNY KEMBLE. 



io6 Travellers [no. 37 

37. Hudson River and Young 
Folks 

By Frances Anne Kemble (1832) 

At six o'clock Dick roused me; and grumpily- 
enough I arose. Really by way of a party of 
pleasure, 'tis too abominable to get up in the mid- 
dle of the night this fashion. At half past six, 
Colonel Wilson came, and we set off to walk to 
the quay. Just as we were nearing the bottom of 
Barclay street, the bell rang from the steamboat, to 
summon all loiterers on board ; and forthwith we 
rushed, because in this country steam and paddles, 
like wind and tide in others, wait for no man. We 
got on board in plenty time, but Dick was nearly 
killed with the pace at which we had walked, in 
order to do so. One of the first persons we saw 
was Mr. Hoyt, who was going up to his father's 
place beyond West Point, by name Hyde Park, 
which sounds magnificent. I did not remain long 
on the second deck, but ascended to the first with 
Colonel Wilson, and paced to and fro with infinite 
zeal till breakfast time. 

The morning was grey and sad looking, and I 
feared we should not have a fine day : however, 
towards eight o'clock the grey clouds parted, and 
the blue serene eyes of heaven looked down upon 
the waters, the waves began to sparkle, though the 
sun had not yet appeared ; the sky was lighter, and 
faint shadows began to appear beside the various 
objects that surrounded us, all which symptoms 
raised our hopes of the weather. At eight o'clock 



No. 37] Hudson River 107 

we went down to breakfast. Nobody who has not 
seen it, can conceive the strange aspect of the long 
room of one of these fine boats at meal-time. The 
crowd, the hurry, the confusion of tongues, like the 
sound of many waters, the enormous consumption of 
eatables, the mingled demands for more, the cloud 
of black waiters hovering down the sides of the 
immense tables, the hungry, eager faces seated at 
them, form altogether a most amusing subject of 
contemplation, and a caricaturist would find ample 
matter for his vein in almost every other devouring 
countenance. 

As far as regards the speed, safety, and conven- 
ience with which these vessels enable one to perform 
what would be in any other conveyance most fatigu- 
ing journeys, they are admirable inventions. The 
way in which they are conducted, too, deserves the 
highest commendation. Nothing can exceed the com- 
fort with which they are fitted up, the skill with 
which they are managed, and the order and alac- 
rity with which passengers are taken up from, or 
landed at the various points along the river. The 
steamer goes at the rate of fifteen miles an hour, 
and in less than two minutes when approaching any 
place of landing, the engine stops, the boat is low- 
ered — the captain always convoys his passengers 
himself from the steamer to the shore — away darts 
the tiny skiff, held by a rope to the main boat; as 
soon as it grazes the land, its freight, animate and 
inanimate, is bundled out, the boat hauls itself back 
in an instant, and immediately the machine is in 
motion, and the vessel again bounding over the water 
like a race-horse. 

Doubtless all this has many and great advantages ; 



io8 Travelle?^s [no. 37 

but to an English person, the mere circumstance of 
being the whole day in a crowd is a nuisance. In 
spite, therefore, of all its advantages, this mode of 
journeying has its drawbacks. And the greatest of 
all, to me, is the being companioned by so many 
strangers, who crowd about you, pursue their con- 
versation in your very ears, or, if they like it better, 
listen to yours, stare you out of all countenance, and 
squeeze you out of all comfort. I think this constant 
living in public is one reason why the young women 
here are much less retiring and shy than English 
girls. Instead of the domestic privacy in which 
women among us are accustomed to live and move, 
and have their being, here they are incessantly, as 
Mr. Mayne says, ''en evidence.'' Accustomed to the 
society of strangers, mixing familiarly with persons 
of whom they know nothing earthly, subject to the 
gaze of a crowd from morning till night, pushing, 
and pressing, and struggling in self-defence, con- 
versing, and being conversed with, by the chance 
companions of a boarding-house, a steamboat, or 
the hotel of a fashionable watering-place ; they 
must necessarily lose everything like reserve or 
bashfulness of deportment, and become free and 
familiar in their manners, and noisy and unrefined 
in their tone and style of conversation. An Eng- 
lish girl of sixteen, put on board one of these Noah's 
arks, (for verily there be clean and unclean beasts in 
them,) would feel and look like a scared thing. The 
term which I should say applied best to the tone 
and carriage of American girls from ten to eighteen, 
is hoydenish ; laughing, giggling, romping, flirting, 
screaming at the top of their voices, running in and 
out of shops, and spending a very considerable por- 



No. 38] C/iild's Voyage 109 

tion of their time in lounging about in the streets. 
In Philadelphia and Boston, almost all the young 
ladies attend classes or day schools, and in the latter 
place, I never went out, morning, noon, or evening, 
that I did not meet, in some of the streets round the 
Tremont House, a whole bevy of young school girls, 
who were my very particular friends, but who, under 
pretext of going to, or returning from school, appeared 
to me to be always laughing, and talking, and run- 
ning about in the public thoroughfares ; a system of 
education which we should think by no means desir- 
able. The entire liberty which the majority of young 
ladies are allowed to assume, at an age when in Eng- 
land they would be under strict nursery discipline, 
appears very extraordinary ; they not only walk alone 
in the streets, but go out into society, where they take 
a determined and leading part, without either mother, 
aunt, or chaperon of any sort ; custom, which renders 
such an appendage necessary with us, entirely dis- 
penses with it here; the reason of this is obvious 
enough in the narrow circles of these small towns, 
where every body knows every body. 



38. A Child's Voyage on the 
Ohio 

By Henry M. Brackenridge (1S34) 

The good squire brought me back to Pittsburg, 
riding behind him on horseback. I remember the 
smell of the coal-smoke in coming down Coal Hill, 
and was pleased with the appearance of the syca- 



1 1 o Travellers [no. 38 

mores growing along the bank of the Monongahela, 
with the milk-white bark of their trunks and branches. 
My father seemed pleased with my speaking Ger- 
man, which would not have been the case if he had 
understood the language. He always entertained a 
very high idea of the importance of this kind of 
acquirement, and would often repeat the saying, 
"that a man doubles himself by learning another 
language." For this reason, or perhaps in conse- 
quence of some original plan of education, he con- 
ceived the idea of sending me to a French village in 
Louisiana, in order to pass the time in acquiring that 
important language, which might otherwise have been 
spent in rolling hoops or playing marbles in the street. 
A French gentleman of his acquaintance was about 
to visit St. Genevieve, a village on the Mississippi, 
and consented to take me with him. Without re- 
garding the distance, which was fifteen hundred 
miles, through a wilderness, and at that time the 
theater of a bloody Indian war, it was resolved to 
seize the opportunity which presented itself of exe- 
cuting his design. It was therefore settled that I 
should accompany the French gentleman, who en- 
gaged to place me in a French family, where I might 
learn the language. Although nothing could have 
been better intended than this measure, it is one 
which few persons will approve. It is true I learned 
the French language, from which I afterward derived 
both pleasure and advantage, and it was my fortune 
to fall into good hands ; but it might have been other- 
wise. 

It must have been in the spring of the year when 
I left Pittsburg, for the water was high, and I recol- 
lect seeing some garden-flowers growing wild. When 



No. 38] Child's Voyage iii 

I went into the flat-boat, poor Joe could with diffi- 
culty be prevented from accompanying me ; he wept 
bitterly and embraced me affectionately. With the 
exception of the French gentleman in whose charge 
I was placed, my companions, at least for a consider- 
able part of the way, were, of all others, the most 
likely to be pernicious to a child of my age ; they 
consisted of common soldiers, to the number of thirty, 
under the command of an ensign, on their way to the 
army. It was fortunate for me that, owing to the 
high waters, this part of our voyage was short in its 
duration, although the distance was five hundred 
miles. 

A little incident also happened shortly after our 
departure, which placed me at some distance from 
my companions of the voyage. My trunk was 
broken open, and six shillings in silver, which had 
purchased my consent to depart from my native 
spot, were taken out by one unknown. The soldiers 
were suspected ; the ensign, who was indignant, made 
strict search to no purpose, and on receiving some 
insolent language from a corporal or sergeant, drew 
his sword, struck him over the head — ^the purple 
stream followed the blow. Such circumstances stamp 
themselves strongly on the infant mind, and I ascribe 
to it a dislike which I have to military discipline. 

I can recollect but few particulars of the voyage. 
In my childish simplicity, I thought we had reached 
the end of the river when we came to a part where 
the stream turns suddenly to the left, apparently pre- 
senting a barrier of hills athwart its course. Being 
by this time tired of the voyage, I asked them to 
take me back. In the evening I was put to a new 
trial; a piece of fat pork, chocolate in a tin cup, and 



112 Travellers [no. 38 

some ship-biscuit were given to me for supper. The 
fat meat disgusted me ; the chocolate was unpala- 
table ; but being afraid to make known these an- 
tipathies, the offensive mess was privately thrown 
overboard. I soon found, however, that there is 
no cure like starving for an overdelicate appetite ; 
and after awhile my disgust was gradually placed 
under control. I consider this a valuable practical 
lesson. How many a spoilt child have I seen, who 
might be cured by the discipline of the flat-boat ! 

In ten days we reached the encampment of General 
Wayne, at a place called Hobson's Choice, now a part 
of the City of Cincinnati. I have no distinct recol- 
lection of the appearance of the Ohio River in the 
course of our descent, except that, instead of being 
enlivened by towns and farms along its banks, it was 
a woody wilderness, shut in to the water's edge. 
Excepting the openings and clearings made for the 
camp, the ground was covered by lofty trees and 
entangled vines. 

We remained here but a few days, when we floated 
off again into the stream ; our party now consisted 
of my guardian (as I will call him) and another man, 
and a little boy about my own age. We now pro- 
ceeded as silently as we could, keeping, as near as 
possible, on the Kentucky side of the river, from 
apprehension of the Indians. 

I do not remember Louisville, or " the Falls " as 
the place was then called ; the waters being high, the 
rapids were probably not visible, and the boat passed 
over them as over any other part of the river From 
this place to the mouth of the river, about five hun- 
dred miles, the banks presented an uninterrupted 
wilderness; the solitude was not disturbed by a single 



No. 38] 



Child' s Voyage 



113 



human voice out of our boat. We encountered a 
river storm, not many miles from the Mississippi; 
the waves tossed us about, and dashed over the sides 
of the boat, threatening either to overwhelm us, or 
to cast us on a desert shore. What a contrast to the 
gentle Ohio was presented . when we entered the 
current of the mighty " father of rivers," with his 
prodigious volume rolling in turbid eddies and whirls, 
with whole forests of driftwood on his surface ! We 
were swiftly hurried along, and soon reached New 
Madrid, the termination of our voyage. This place 
was then a small Spanish military post ; as we 
approached the landing, a soldier or officer made 
his appearance on the bank, and flourished his sword 
with a fierce, consequential air ; all this for the 
purpose of indicating the place for us to land. 
















A TOLL GATE. 



I T 4 T?^avelle?^s [no. 39 

39. A Bear Fight 

By Henry M. Brackenridge (1834) 

In ascending the Ohio, as the banks were unin- 
habited, and there were no boats going down, we 
often suffered severely from the want of provisions. 
Louisville. Excepting two log-cabins, at Red Bank, there was no 
habitation until we reached the Falls. I shall never 
forget the painful sensations of hunger which I en- 
dured, when we were a day, or sometimes two days, 
without anything to eat. A sufficient supply of pro- 
visions had not been laid in before starting, and our 
hunters frequently disappointed us. Not far from 
the Wabash, on the Indian side of the river, a small 
herd of buffaloes was one day observed, perhaps 
among the last ever seen on the banks of the Ohio. 
Our boat landed, in order to afford an opportunity to 
those who had guns to approach the game through 
the woods. Four of the men slipped up through 
the bushes, and, selecting a buffalo bull, fired their 
rifles at once at his head ; but they either missed, or 
their bullets could not penetrate his skull. Another 
was more fortunate, or more judicious, in choosing 
out a large calf, which he shot and secured, and 
brought us a most acceptable supply of fresh meat. 

Once, having encamped somewhat later than usual, 
in the neighborhood of a beautiful grove of sugar- 
trees, we found, after kindling our fires, that a large 
flock of turkeys had taken up their night's lodgings 
over our heads : some ten or twelve of them were 
soon taken down for our supper and breakfast. But 
it was not often we were so fortunate ; and one after- 
noon in particular, after having suffered much from 



No. 39] A Bear Fight 115 

hunger, the men bethought themselves of trying the 
river mussels : they were fried, and covered with pep- 
per and salt, but they could not be eaten. 

I must not omit an incident of our voyage of some- 
what unusual interest, which was nothing more nor 
less than what may be called a naval combat with a 
bear. One afternoon bruin was espied crossing the 
river from the Indiana to the Kentucky side ; every 
exertion was made, and with success, to cut him off 
from the shore. We now had him fairly in the mid- 
dle of the river. All the guns we had on board were 
leveled at him ; but such is the extraordinary tenacity 
of life in this animal, that, although severely wounded, 
he not only continued to swim, but now enraged, and 
finding his retreat impracticable, made directly for 
the boat, champing his teeth, and his eyes red with 
rage. Before the fire-arms could be reloaded, he laid 
his paw on the side of the boat, as if to try the last 
desperate experiment of boarding ; and if he had suc- 
ceeded, the probability is he would have cleared the 
decks. Some one had the presence of mind to seize 
an axe and knock him in the head ; after which, he 
was dragged into the boat, and proved to be of enor- 
mous size. We encamped early, and fires were joy- 
fully kindled along the rocky shore, in anticipation of 
the feast : one of the paws fell to my share, and, being 
roasted in the ashes, furnished a delicious repast. 

Our boat was very badly contrived to encounter 
inclement weather. At the stern there was a small 
cabin, if such it might be called, formed by a canvas 
drawn over hoops something like those of a covered 
wagon. But the space it covered was too narrow to 
shelter more than four or five persons. The hull of 
the boat was entirely filled with peltries. One night, 



1 1 6 Travellers [no. 39 

when it rained incessantly, so many crowded in that 
I was fairly crowded out, and lay, until daylight, on 
the running-board (a plank at the edge of the boat, 
on which the men walk in pushing with the pole), 
exposed to the falling torrents of rain, accompanied 
with incessant thunder and lightning. We little 
know what we can bear until we try, although one 
might think this would deserve to rank among the 
experiments of Peter the Great, who attempted to 
accustom his midshipmen to drink salt water ! I did 
not sleep, but drew myself as nearly into the shape of 
a ball as. I could, with no other covering than a thin 
Capote = capote. Shortly after my arrival at Louisville, I was 
a long cloak, seized with a fever and ague, occasioned either by my 
exposures and sufferings, or by imprudently eating 
some unripe watermelon, or both together. It was 
nearly a year before I was entirely cured of the ague, 
and I felt the effects long after. 

My guardian, having disposed of the principal part 
of his cargo at Louisville, purchased a canoe or 
peroque, which he loaded with some valuable furs 
remaining unsold, and employed a stripling from the 
Monongahela to assist him in pushing with the pole. 
Thus far, I have said little of my guardian. The 
reader must have discovered that he was engaged in 
trade between Pittsburg and Upper Louisiana ; but 
he will hardly suspect that he was a French gentle- 
man of education, and bred to the bar in hi.s own 
country, and of a distinguished family there. He 
might now be seen, pole in hand, pushing at the 
stern, and his man Duncan at the bow, while Pill-gar- 
lick was deposited among the skins, half way between 
them. When the unfortunate ague came on I dis- 
turbed the equilibrium of the canoe, or rather of those 



No. 40] A Wise Old Mule 117 

standing up in it, to the no small displeasure of mon- 
sieur, whose temper was none of the sweetest. 

As the season was advanced, and also rainy, I suf- 
fered much from constant exposure. Duncan took 
care of me ; we slept together, and the few blankets 
we had were disposed in the most judicious manner. 
One of these was drawn over bent twigs, each end in 
the ground ; another was laid on leaves, or fresh 
boughs, and a third was used for covering. In this 
way, the night was passed more comfortably than the 
day ; although, on one occasion, we had to shake off 
the snow which had fallen upon us somewhat early 
in the season. Having a regular return of the ague 
every day, and growing weaker, my guardian con- 
sidered it most prudent to leave me at the first 
settlement, where I could be safely deposited and 
taken care of. Accordingly, on our arrival at Galli- 
polis, I was taken to a house in the village and left 
there. 



40. A Wise Old Mule 

By Edwin Bryant (1846) 

About midway upwards, in a canon of this moun- 
tain, I noticed the smoke of a fire, which apparently 
had just been kindled by the Indians, who were then 
there, and had discovered our party on the white 
plain below ; it was the custom of these Indians to 
make signals by fire and smoke, whenever they 
notice strange objects. Proceeding onward, I over- 
took an old and favorite pack-mule, which we famil- 
iarly called " Old Jenny." She carried our meat and 
flour — all that we possessed in fact — as a suste- 



1 1 8 ^ Travellers [no. 40 

nance of life. Her pack had turned, and her burden, 
instead of being on her back was suspended under- 
neath. With that sagacity and discretion so char- 
acteristic of the Mexican pack-mule, as she was 
behind and followed the party in advance, she had 
stopped short in the road until some one should come 
to rearrange her cargo and place it on deck instead 
of under the keel. I dismounted and went through, 
by myself, the rather tedious and laborious process 
of unpacking and repacking. This done, " Old 
Jenny " set forward upon a fast gallop to overtake 
her companions ahead, and my own mule, as if not 
to be outdone in the race, followed in the same gait. 
" Old Jenny," however, maintained the honors of the 
race, keeping considerably ahead. Both of them, by 
that instinct or faculty which mules undoubtedly 
possess, had scented the water on the other side of 
the valley, and their pangs of extreme thirst urged 
them forward at this extraordinary speed, after the 
long and laborious march they had made. 

As I advanced over the plain the spreading of the 
fires in the canon of the mountain appeared with 
great distinctness. The line of lights was regular 
like camp-fires, and I was m.ore than half inclined 
to hope that we should meet and be welcomed by an 
encampment of civilized men — either hunters, or a 
party from the Pacific bound homeward. The moon 
shone out about nine o'clock, displaying and illumi- 
nating the unnatural, unearthly dreariness of the 
scenery. 

" Old Jenny " for some time had so far beat me in 
the race as to be out of my sight, and I out of the 
sound of her footsteps. I was entirely alone, and 
enjoying, as well as a man could with a crust of salt 



No. 40] A IVise Old Mule 119 

in his nostrils and over his lips, and a husky mouth 
and throat, the singularity of my situation, when I 
observed, about a quarter of a mile in advance of me, 
a dark, stationary object standing in the midst of the 
hoary scenery. I supposed it to be " Old Jenny " in 
trouble once more about her pack. But coming up 
to a speaking distance, I was challenged in a loud 
voice with the usual guard-salutation, " Who comes 
there .'' " Having no countersign, I gave the common 
response in such cases, "A friend." This appeared 
to be satisfactory, for I heard no report of pistol or 
rifle, and no arrow took its soundless flight through 
my body. I rode up to the object and discovered it 
to be Buchanan sitting upon his mule, which had 
become so much exhausted that it occasionally re- 
fused to go along. He said that he had supposed 
himself to be the "last man," before "Old Jenny" 
passed, who had given him a surprise, and he was 
quite thunderstruck when an animal, mounted by a 
man, came charging upon him in his half-crippled 
condition. After a good laugh and some little delay 
and difficulty, we got his mule under way again, and 
rode slowly along together. 

We left, what seemed to us, in our tired condition, 
the interminable plain of salt, and entered upon the 
sagey slope of the mountain about ten o'clock. Hal- 
looing as loudly as we could raise our voices, we ob- 
tained, by a response, the direction of our party who 
had preceded us, and after some difficulty in making 
our way through the sage, grass, and willows, (the last 
a certain indication of water in the desert,) we came 
to where they had discovered a faint stream of water, 
and made their camp. Men and mules, on their first 
arrival, as we learned, had madly rushed into the 



I 2 o Travellers [No. 40 

stream and drank together of its muddy waters, — 
made muddy by their own disturbance of its shallow 
channel and sluggish current. 

Delay of gratification frequently gives a temporary 
relief to the cravings of hunger. The same remark 
is applicable to thirst. Some hours previously I had 
felt the pangs of thirst with an acuteness almost 
amounting to an agony. Now, when I had reached 
the spot where I could gratify my desires in this 
respect, they were greatly diminished. My first care 
was to unsaddle my mule and to lead it to the stream, 
and my next to take a survey of the position of our 
encampment. I then procured a cup of muddy 
water, and drank it off with a good relish. The fires 
before noticed were still blazing brightly above us on 
the side of the mountain, but those who had lighted 
them, had given no other signal of their proximity. 
The moon shone brilliantly, and Jacob, Buchanan, 
McClary, and myself, concluded we would trace the 
small stream of water until we could find the foun- 
tain spring. After considerable search among the 
reeds, willow, and luxuriant grass, we discovered a 
spring. Buchanan was so eager to obtain a draught 
of cold, pure water, that in dipping his cup for this 
purpose, the yielding weeds under him gave way, and 
he sank into the basin, from which he was drawn 
out after a good ducking, by one of those present. 
The next morning this basin was sounded to the 
depth of thirty-five feet, and no bottom found. We 
named this spring " Buchanan's well." 

We lighted no fires to-night, and prepared no 
evening meal. Worn down by the hard day's travel, 
after relieving our thirst we spread our blankets upon 
the ground, and laying our bodies upon them, slept 



No. 41] A Bull Fior/lt 12 1 

o 

soundly in the bright moonshine. Several of our 
party had been on the road upwards of seventeen 
hours, without water or refreshment of any kind, 
except a small draught of cold coffee from our 
powder-keg, made of the salt sulphur-water at our 
last encampment, and had travelled the distance of 
seventy-five miles. The Salt Plain has never at this 
place, so far as I could understand, been crossed but 
twice previously by civilized men, and in these in- 
stances two days were occupied in performing the 
journey of seventy-five miles. 



41. A Mimic Bull Fight 

By William Bullock (1825) 

The next thing was dancing to a guitar, strummed 
by a pretty little girl about twelve years old, and 
some of the ladies accompanied with their voices the 
movements of their feet. Whilst this amusement 
was going on, a fine young bull was brought and tied 
by a long cord to the stump of a tree : the beautiful 
little animal seemed for a while to enjoy the noisy 
sport as much as any of the company, till he had 
received several very marked insults, when he lost his 
temper, and with considerable violence ran at an Ind- 
ian, against whom he had already shown marks of 
hostility. Several persons now joined in the attempt 
to work him up to the highest point of irritation ; the 
young men advanced in front of him, with only a 
pocket handkerchief, and when they had provoked 
him to attack them, would merely step aside, and 
leave the handkerchief covering his face. The con- 



12 2 Travellers ' [No. 42 

test had continued without any one being endangered, 
till in a furious charge at his Indian friend, the bull 
broke the rope ; but the sable adversary very dexter- 
ously turned short and seized him by the tail, and 
contrived so to hold him, till another rope was passed 
round his body, and he was again secured. A soldier 
next leaped on his back, but after a few efforts, the 
animal threw him to a considerable distance, and he 
fell with violence. It now became quite furious, 
when an Indian sprang upon its back, clasping its 
sides with his legs, and resisting every effort of the 
bellowing brute to dislodge him ; and then finally 
galloped off into a wood. 

It was the first time I had ever witnessed any thing 
like a bull-fight, even of this mimic kind ; and as the 
parties did not seem to apprehend any peril, the 
laughter, in which the ladies had no inconsiderable 
share, was occasionally very boisterous and long 
continued. 

42. A Storm on take Erie 

By Isaac Weld (1795X 

At daybreak we found ourselves entirely clear of 
the land ; but instead of the azure sky and gentle 
breezes which had favored us the preceding day, 
we had thick hazy weather, and every appearance in 
the heavens indicated that before many hours were 
over we shoukl have to contend with some of the 
dangerous storms so frequent on Lake Erie. It was 
not long before the winds began to blow, and the 
waves to rise in a tremendous manner. A number of 
old French ladies, who were going to see their grand- 



No. 42] 



St 



orm 



on Lake E?^te 123 



children in Lower Canada, and who now for the first 
time in their lives found themselves on the water, 
occupied the cabin. The hold of the vessel, boarded 
from end to end, and divided simply by a sail sus- 
pended from one of the beams, was filled on one side 
with steerage passengers, amongst which were several 
women and children ; and on the opposite side with 
passengers who had paid cabin price, but were unable 




AN OLD FORT. 



to get any better accommodation, amongst which num- 
ber was our party. Not including either the old ladies 
in the cabin, or the steerage passengers, we sat down 
to dinner each day twenty-six in number. The 
greater part of the passengers, drooping under sea- 
sickness, begged for heaven's sake that the captain 
would put back ; but bent upon performing his voy- 
age with expedition, he was deaf to their entreaties. 
What the earnest entreaties, however, of the pas- 
sengers could not effect, the storm soon compelled. 



12 4 Travellers [no. 42 

It was found absolutely necessary to seek for a place 
of shelter to avoid its fury ; and accordingly the helm 
was ordered up, and we made the best of our way 
back again to the islands in a bay, between two of 
which we cast anchor. Here we lay securely 
sheltered by the land until the next morning, when 
the watch upon deck gave the alarm that the vessel 
was driving from her anchor and going fast towards 
the shore. 

The dawn of day only enabled us to see all the danger 
of our situation. We were within one hundred yards 
of a rocky lee shore, and depended upon one anchor, 
which, if the gale increased, the captain feared very 
much would not hold. The day was wet and squally 
and the appearance of the sky gave us every reason 
to imagine that the weather, instead of growing 
moderate, would become still more tempestuous than it 
either was or had been ; nevertheless, buoyed up by 
hope, and by a good share of animal spirits, we ate 
our breakfasts regardless of the impending danger, 
and afterwards sat down to a game of cards. Scarcely 
had we played for one hour when the dismal cry was 
heard of, " All hands aloft," as the vessel was again 
drifting towards the shore. 

As the day was very cold, I threw a blanket over 
my shoulders, and fastened it round my waist with a 
girdle, in the Indian fashion, but I was incapable of 
managing it like an Indian, and stopped to disen- 
cumber myself of it before I went on deck, so that, as 
it happened, I was the last man below. The readiest 
way of going up was through the hatchway, and I 
had just got my foot upon the ladder, in order to 
ascend, when the vessel struck with great force upon 
the rocks. Before two minates had passed over, the 



No. 42] Storm o?t Lake Erie 125 

vessel struck a secoiid time, but with a still greater 
shock ; and at the end of k quarter of an hour, during 
which period she had graduaM approached nearer 
towards the shore, she began/ to ^^trike with the fall 
of every wave. As ;the storm iricreased, the waves 
began to roll with greater turbulence than before ; 
and with such impetuosity did they break over the 
bows of the vessel, tjhat it was with the very utmost 
difficulty that I, and/ half a dozen more who had 
taken our station on/the forecastle, could hold by our 
hands fast enough tof save ourselves from being carried 
overboard. / 

For upwards of four hours did we remain in this 
situation, expectinj^ every' instant that the vessel 
would go to pieced and exposed every three or four 
minutes to the snock of one of the tremendous 
breakers which carltte rolling towards us. At last, we 
were so benumbedlwith cold that it would have been 
impossible for us to\ make any exertions in the water 
to save ourselves if the vessel was wrecked ; so we 
determined to go below, there to remain until we 
should be again forced up by the waves. 

Some of the passengers now began to write their 
wills on scraps of paper, and to inclose them in what 
they imagined would be most likely to preserve them 
from the water ; others had begun to take from their 
trunks what they deemed most valuable ; and one 
unfortunate thoughtless man, who was moving with 
his family from the upper country, we discovered in 
the very act of loading himself with dollars from 
head to foot, so that had he fallen into the water in 
the state we found him he must inevitably have 
been carried to the bottom. 

Words can convey no idea of the wildness that 



12 6 Travellers [no. 43 

reigned in the countenance of almost every person as 
the night approached. 

Till nine o'clock at night the vessel kept striking 
every minute, during which time we were kept in a 
state of the most dreadful suspense about our fate ; 
but then happily the wind shifted one or two points 
in our favour, which occasioned the vessel to roll in- 
stead of striking. At midnight the gale grew some- 
what more moderate ; and at three in the morning 
it was so far abated, that the men were able to haul 
in the anchor, and in a short time to bring the 
vessel once more into deep water, and out of all dan- 
ger. Great was the joy, as well may be imagined, 
which this circumstance diffused amongst the pas- 
sengers ; and well pleased was each one, after the 
fatigue and anxiety of the preceding day, to think 
he might securely lay himself down to rest. 

The next morning the sun arose in all his majesty 
from behind one of the most distant islands. The 
azure sky was unobscured by a single cloud, the air 
felt serenely mild, and the birds, as if equally delighted 
with man that the storm was over, sweetly warbled 
forth their songs in the adjacent woods ; in short, 
had it not been for the disordered condition in which 
we saw our vessel, and every thing belonging to us, 
the perils we had gone through would have appeared 
like a dream. 



43. In a Cave 

By John Ashe (1806) 

I HAD descended but twenty-two miles from the 
Wabash when I came to on the Indiana shore to 



No. 43] I?i a Cave 127 

examine a very grand and interesting natural curi- 
osity. It is a cave in a rock which presents itself to 
view a little above the water when high, close to the 
bank of the river, and darkened by the shade of some 
Catalpa trees standing before the entrance. On each 
side the gently ascending copses of wood, and the 
extensive view of the water, profound, wide and trans- 
parent, tend to render the cave an object truly delight- 
ful and worthy of the most minute attention. I 
resolved to explore it, though it bore the reputation 
of being the residence of a band of robbers who for 
many years have infested the river. But I find the 
cavern at first became an object of terror and aston- 
ishment from having been the retreat of the remains 
of an Indian nation who were exasperated against 
the Americans, and resolved to put as many of them 
as possible to death, to revenge the injuries and in- 
sults they and their friends had experienced. 

It was a party of the Illinois who adopted this fatal 
resolution, and who carried it on for several years 
with the most bloody effect, till a large party of Ken- 
tuckians resolved to attack and exterminate them. 
With this intent fifty well armed men descended to 
the cave and attacked the Illinois who were double 
that number. Several fell on both sides, and the vic- 
tory was doubtful till the Illinois rushed upon the 
enemy with lifted tomahawks and horrid cries, and 
drove them to the cave which they entered, and made 
a long and terrible resistance. In an instant the Illi- 
nois changed their mode : they cast up a heap of dry 
wood, reeds and cane, immediately before the en- 
trance which they undoubtedly guarded, and set fire 
to the piles ; this suffocated all those who had not 
resolution to rush through the flame and brave death 



12 8 Travellers [no. 43 

in another effort with their successful enemy. Some 
had vigour to make this desperate attempt. It was 
fruitless. The life of one man alone was spared. 
The rest perished by the fire, or fell under the 
hatchet. The man, whose life was given him, was 
sent back to the Government of Kentucky with this 
message : " Tell your wise men, that the Illinois have 
glutted their vengeance, and that their spirit is satis- 
fied and appeased. On the borders of the lake we 
will bury the hatchet. Woe to those who make us 
take it from the ground." Soon after this act they 
departed, and reside to this time on the spot they 
mentioned for their intended retreat. 

About three years after this distinguished act of 
national and Indian vengeance, the cave was seized 
by a party of Kentuckians, called "Wilson's Gang." 
Wilson, in the first instance, brought his family to the 
cave, fitted it up as a spacious dwelling, and erected 
a sign post on the water side, on which were these 
words: "Wilson's house for entertainment." The 
novelty of such a tavern induced almost all boats 
descending the river to call and stop for refreshment 
and amusement. Attracted by these circumstances, 
several idle characters took up their abode at the 
cave. Out of such customers as these Wilson found 
no difficulty in forming a band of robbers, with whom 
he formed the plan of murdering the crews of every 
boat that stopped at his tavern, and send the boats, 
manned by some of his party, to New Orleans, and 
there sell their lading for cash, which was to be con- 
veyed to the cave by land through the states of Ten- 
nessee and Kentucky ; the party who returned with 
it were instructed to murder and rob, on all good 
occasions, presented by the road. After a lapse of 



No. 43] 



In a Cave 



129 



some time, the merchants of the upper country began 
to be alarmed, when they found that their property 
made no return, and their people never came back. 
Several families and respectable men who had gone 
down the river were never more heard of, and the losses 
became so frequent that it raised at length a cry of 
individual and general distress. This naturally led 
to inquiry, and large rewards were offered for the 
discovery of the perpetrators of such unparalleled 
crimes. 







- .-.,„„ y">„^_^> ' \ y^' 






THE CONESTOGA WAGON. 



It soon came out that Wilson, with an organized 
party of forty-five men, was the cause of such waste 
of blood and treasure. The publicity of Wilson's 
transactions soon broke up his party ; some dispersed, 
others were taken prisoners, and he himself was 
killed by one of his associates, who was tempted by 
the original reward offered for the head of the cap- 
tain of the gang. 

I ordered light and arms, and entered the cave, and 
found it to measure two hundred feet long, and forty 



130 Tf^avellers [no. 43 

feet high : the entrance formed a semicircular arch 
of ninety feet at its base, and forty-five in its perpen- 
dicular. The interior walls are smooth rock stained 
by fire and marked with names of persons and dates 
and other remarks, etched by former inhabitants and 
by nearly every visitor. The floor is very remark- 
able; it is level through the whole length of its 
centre, and rises to the sides in stone grades, in the 
manner of seats in the pit of a theatre. On a dili- 
gent scrutiny of the walls, I could plainly discern 
that the Indians, at a very remote period, made use 
of the cave as a house of deliberation and council. 
The walls bear many hieroglyphics, well executed in 
the Indian manner : and some of them represented 
animals which bear no resemblance to any I have 
ever heard of or seen. 

While occupied in this research, I discovered an 
opening in the roof of the cave, which appeared to 
work up a funnel to the surface of the earth. It was 
as large as an ordinary chimney, and placed directly 
in the centre of the roof. The access was very diffi- 
cult, and yet an increase of curiosity determined me 
to find out whither the passage led. In consequence 
I ordered a long hickory tree to be cut down, to be 
notched for the feet, and reared up against the mouth 
of the opening. My men seemed to think the pas- 
sage might lead to the lurking i^lace of a bandit. 
They were much alarmed and used every persuasion 
to turn me from my design. It was to no purpose. 
With a dirk at my breast, and a ])air of pistols in my 
girdle, I mounted by means of the tree, and received 
a light from my servant, who insisted on following 
me, while Cuff remained as a sentinel below, ready 
to fire a signal on any person's approach. 



No. 43] In a Cave 131 

With much difficulty I strained through the aper- 
ture, which appeared to form a perpendicular pas- 
sage of fourteen feet ; and to my great astonishment 
arrived in an apartment of greater magnitude than 
that from which I had ascended, arid of more splen- 
dor, magnificence and variety. As I advanced, by 
the assistance of the lights, I began to discover the 
outlines of a large vault of great height and extent. 
The roof, which was arched, the sides and natural 
pillars that supported it, seemed at first sight to 
be cut out and wrought into figures and ornaments, 
not unlike those of a gothic cathedral. These were 
formed by a thousand droppings of the coldest and 
most petrifying water. At the farther end of this 
large vault was an opening, which served as a descent 
to another vault of very great depth, as I judged 
from a stone cast in, whose reverberation was not 
returned for the space of several seconds. 

About half an hour later I fired a pistol off, which 
I knew would bring my faithful Mandanean, but I 
did not know that its effect would be terrific and its 
report tremendous. No thunder could exceed the 
explosion, no echo return so strong a voice. My man 
fell as if insensible at my feet, and I staggered sev- 
eral paces before I could recover my equilibrium. 
The light extinguished ; the echo of the shot again 
rebounded, and all the demons of the place awoke at 
once to appal and confound me. Owls screamed in 
their retreats, bats fluttered through the air, and a 
direful contention of sounds and cries vied with each 
other to scare the heart and fill the soul with horror 
and dismay. Before the tumult ceased, I discovered 
beams of light issuing from the lower cave, and in 
a moment after appeared my trusty Indian rising 



132 Travellers [no. 44 

through the opening with a torch in one hand and a 
sabre in the other, and exclaiming, " My chief, my 
chief, have a strong heart." We found here abun- 
dance of shells of the mussel kind. They were all 
open and lay scattered on the floor and shelving sides 
of the cave, in a manner that fully convinced me they 
were there originally inhabited by fish, at a period 
when the place in which I found them was a sub- 
marine vault. 



44. What became of the Buffaloes 

Bv John Ashe (1806) 

An old man, one of the first settlers in this country, 
built his log-house on the immediate borders of a salt 
spring. He informed me that for the first several 
seasons, the buffaloes paid him their visits with the 
utmost regularity. They travelled in single files, 
always following each other at equal distances, and 
formed droves on their arrival, of about three hun- 
dred each. The first and second years, so un- 
acquainted were these poor brutes with the use of 
this man's house or with his nature, that in a few 
hours they rubbed the house completely down ; taking 
delight in turning the logs off with their horns, while 
he had some difficulty to escape from being trampled 
under their feet, or crushed to death in his own ruins. 
At that period he supposed there could not have been 
less than ten thousand in the neighbourhood of the 
spring. They sought for no manner of food ; but 
only bathed and drank three or four times a day, and 
rolled in the earth, or lay in the adjacent shades ; 
and on the fifth and sixth days separated into dis- 



No. 44] The Buffaloes 133 

tinct droves, bathed, drank and departed in single 
files, according- to the exact order of their arrival. 
They ail rolled successively in the same hole ; and 
each thus carried away a coat of mud, to preserve 
the moisture on their skin ; when hardened and 
baked by the sun, this layer would resist the stings 
of millions of insects that otherwise would persecute 
these peaceful travellers to madness or death. 

In the first and second years this old man with 
some companions killed from six to seven hundred 
of these noble creatures, merely for the sake of the 
skins, which were worth only two shillings each ; 
and after this work of death, they were obliged to 
leave the place till the following season. In the 
two following years, the same persons killed great 
numbers out of the first droves that arrived ; but 
they soon had reason to repent of this, for the re- 
maining droves, as they came up in succession, 
stopped, moaned or lowed aloud, and returned in- 
stantly to the wilderness in an unusual run, without 
tasting their favourite spring, or Hcking the salt earth, 
which was also once their most agreeable occupation; 
nor did they, or any of their race, ever revisit the 
neighbourhood. 

The simple history of this spring is that of every The same 
other in the settled part of this western world ; the ^1'™°" 
carnage of beasts was everywhere the same. I met since 1870 
with a man who had killed two thousand buffaloes inthewest- 

, ern plain. 

with his own hand ; and others, no doubt, have done 
the same. In consequence of such proceedings, not 
one buffalo is at this time to be found east of the 
Mississippi, except a few domesticated by the curi- 
ous, or carried through the country as a public show. 
The first settlers, not content with this sanguinary 



134 Travellers [no. 45 

extermination of the animal, also destroyed the food 
to which it was most partial; which was cane, grow- 
ing in forests and brakes of immeasurable extent. 
To this the unsparing wretches set fire in dry seasons, 
in order to drive out every living creature, and then 
hunt and persecute them to death. 

Deer, which also abounded in this country, have 
nearly shared the same fate as the buffalo ; and they, 
too, would be entirely annihilated, if they were not 
capable of subsisting in places almost inaccessible to 
man. The small number that remain, frequent the 
mountains ; their desire for the water of the saline 
springs, however, occasionally brings them into the 
plains, where they do not want for enemies, for there 
is no settler who would not abandon the most impor- 
tant business, in order to pursue this species of game. 

The salt lake and springs are also frequented by 
other kinds of beasts, and by birds : and from the 
most minute inquiries, I am justified in asserting that 
their visitations were periodical; except doves, which 
appear to delight in the neighbourhood of salt springs, 
and to make them their constant abode. In such 
situations they are seen in immense numbers, as 
tame as domestic pigeons, but rendered more interest- 
ing by their solitary notes and plaintive melody. 



45. A Deer Hunt in Florida 

By (Ikorgk McCall (1822) 

Pknsacola, DecemlKM- i. 1822. 
M \ D E A R II A K R V : 

I am mounted at last — ^and splendidly. I found 
here a short time ago a blooded mare from Virginia ; 



No. 45] A Deer Himt 135 

she was brought hither through Tennessee and Ala- 
bama by a Mr. Anderson, a gentleman who came to 
look at Florida lands and live-oak timber. Kate, as 
I have christened her, is a dark bay, almost a brown, 
with the most beautiful head, saucily set upon a fine 
neck, which springs proudly from a deep and well 
thrown-back shoulder ; a short back, fiddle hips, and 
a clean set of limbs finish the portrait. She has a 
fair share of woman's wilfulness ; but that is amply 
illuminated or adorned by a light pair of heels and 
great powers of endurance. I have ridden her after 
the hounds several times. A party was made up this 
week. The day appointed for the hunt was an un- 
common one for the time of year, though not the 
less welcome than unexpected. 

We mustered eight dogs and moved on through 
the woods, where the long-leaved pine, sparsely 
distributed, towers up among the red and the white 
palmetto. At length we came upon the hunting- 
ground, and Jupiter was ordered with the pack to 
drive a branch or arm of the bayou that shot out 
from the main body of the hummock. He had not 
advanced far before a single note, low, deep-toned, 
and prolonged, brought glad tidings and true to the 
ears of his master. 

"Hark to him!" cried the Captain. "Listen to 
old Enoch ; that was his voice, and it is a voice that 
never deceives. He has struck a cold trail and 
carefully and truly will the old fellow follow it. 
Hark again ! another note ; he will soon track the 
deer to his lair, and rouse him from his noon-day 
repose. We must separate, and be ready for him 
when the dogs force him from cover." 

Old Enoch continued his course slowly and accu- 



136 



Travellers 



[No. 45 



rately, from time to time giving notice of his prog- 
ress ; when all at once the whole pack, bursting into 
full cry, proclaimed that the deer was up. Each 
horseman concealed himself and horse as much as 
possible behind a tree or bush, and waited in silence 
and anxious expectancy for the moment when the 
deer, on being closely pressed, should leave the 
hummock. In a few minutes, however. Bell, having 
listened attentively to the cry, put spurs to his mare, 

dashed down the 
"' ' " - - ^ * branch to its junc- 

tion with the bayou, 
threw the reins on 
his mare's neck, and 
sat loosely in the 
saddle, prepared to 
deliver his fire at 
the first bound of the 
deer from cover. His 
judgment proved to 
be correct : the bois- 
terous cry of the 
pack passed, succes- 
sively, each of the disappointed hunters stationed 
above; but as the deer approached the junction, he 
caught the wind of his enemy, and decHned to leave 
the cover ; and the cry of the pack soon proved that 
he had directed his flight up the main bayou. As 
Bell rode back, he called out, 

"This fellow is disposed to breathe our horses. 
We are entered for a good mile race by this manoeuvre. 
The stand isthe first cove above this branch ; if we let 
him pass that, he is safe for the day. Come on." An 
animated whoop started us at full speed, and in another 




AN EARLY LOCOMOTIVE. 



No. 45] A Deer Hunt 137 

moment we were sweeping through the rattling pal- 
mettos with the sound of a hurricane. Stands were 
taken as the judgment of the individual dictated, and 
scarcely were we disposed of, ere the chase came 
thundering on. Again we were disappointed ; the 
deer, having approached to the very edge of the hum- 
mock, again caught the wind of his pursuers, and 
doubling back, returned in the same trail he had 
advanced upon. 

The pack came dashing out above almost as the 
buck went in again to the hummock below : they 
circled round where the deer had doubled, and with- 
out for a moment faltering followed him back again. 
The cry of the pack soon told that the buck as he 
regained the cover had dashed through to the banks 
of the bayou, where plunging in he swam the stream 
and hied him off to the northward. 

A few hundred yards farther brought us through 
the thicket, and we at once came upon a large 
savannah. When we entered upon the opening. 
Bell cast his eye down the bayou and discovered the 
buck coming up on the opposite side of the savannah, 
steadily pursued by the dogs, (though at some dis- 
tance,) whence they sent forward the intelligence of 
their coming in deep-toned and eager cries. The 
poor buck, nearly exhausted with the long and unin- 
terrupted run, was laboring under the weight of his 
branching antlers ; his parched tongue lolled from his 
husky throat. 

The Captain, at a glance, perceived his condition, 
and called out to me, " We can take him as he passes 
the head of the pond." 

Again putting spurs to our horses, we gained the 
head of the savannah in advance of him. On reach- 



138 



Travellers [no. 46 



ing the savannah, the buck had been compelled to 
leave the wind, the only medium through which he 
receives warning of danger in front ; for when hotly- 
pursued, his eyesight soon fails him, and his ears are 
filled with the fearful cry of the hounds in his rear. 
It followed, then, that when we drew up at the dis- 
tance of some two hundred yards in his front, he con- 
tinued his course, unconscious of our presence. The 
Captain whispered, "The first shot is yours ; fire." 

I drew up my piece, and fired ; but the excitement 
of the chase, and the fatigue of my bridle-arm, caused 
my aim to be unsteady, and my bullet cut the leaves 
from the bushes above his head. 

The buck sprang forward at the report, and re- 
doubled his efforts. The white mare now stood 
statue-like, with ears erect and eyes fixed upon the 
noble deer still advancing; and before the fated 
patriarch of the wilds had made two leaps, the Cap- 
tain's piece rang forth his death-knell. The buck 
made one tremendous leap ; staggered forward a few 
yards in quick, irregular plunges ; recovered himself ; 
and then, expending the remaining energies of vital- 
ity in one majestic bound, fell lifeless on the plain. 



46. Alligators 

By George McCall (1830) 

The weather is now delightful, though quite warm 
at mid-day. The alligators, who have lain torpid all 
winter, packed away in their dens in the river-banks, 
have come abroad to enjoy the genial sunshine, and 
to commit havoc on all animals who venture into the 
water which they inhabit. The Colonel lost a very 



No. 46] Alligators 139 

fine Northern cow a few days ago by one of these 
monsters. She had waded into the river by the side 
of the wharf just about dayh<;ht or soon after, and, 
althou.i;"h ahnost under the eye of the sentinel, was 
seized, terribly lacerated and dragged under water. 
Another officer lost a good pony much in the same 
way ; he had waded into the water at noon to drink 
and cool his flanks, when he was caught by the hock 
and completely hamstrung. After suffering under 
such depredations, orders were given, as you may 
well suppose, that the sentinel posted at the wharf 
should fire upon every aUigator that showed his nose 
above water. In this way quite a number have been 
killed. 

I will give you my experience in one or two cases 
occurring under my own eyes. In the first place, I 
must tell you that a short time since, being on duty 
as officer of the day, I made the round of visiting the 
different guards and sentinels, the last inspected 
being at the subsistence stores, in front of which is 
the wharf. I observed several officers seated under 
a large live-oak, just below the store-houses. Here, 
at ten o'clock in the morning, they were enjoying the 
refreshing sea-breeze then coming over the placid 
bay. I joined them with a glad appreciation of the 
shade and the delicious air so welcome after an 
hour's walk under a hot sun. 

I had not been many minutes in conversation with 
these gentlemen, when the top of an alligator's skull, 
his cold, hard, unmeaning eye, and the tip of his 
nose, all that he usually shows above water as he re- 
connoitres "the land ahead," appeared suddenly in 
the stream, not thirty yards from the sentinel's post. 
The latter happened to be a man of my own com- 



140 Travellers [no. 46 

pany, who was, I knew, a crack shot. I gave him a 
signal to fire. Without an instant's pause, he brought 
his musket to his shoulder and made a "snap-shot." 
The huge creature sprung half out of water, and 
falling upon his back, lashed the water with his tail. 
This was apparently a large fellow, and I directed 
two of the guard, who were standing by as spectators, 
to take a canoe that lay at the wharf, and bring the 
reptile ashore. He was dragged up near to the tree 
under which we sat, and measured thirteen feet. 

As I wanted a good tooth from which to fashion a 
powder-charger for my rifle, I sent for an axe. With 
this the man struck two heavy blows, driving the 
edge of the axe up to the eye into the animal's skull, 
destroying, as one would think, all the brain, 
if any there was left after the shock produced by the 
musket-ball, which had passed entirely through it. 

While we still sat under the oak, perhaps half an 
hour after the alligator had undergone the operation 
so thoroughly performed by the axe-man, we were 
not a little surprised to see the fellow, who lay with 
his head turned from the water, rise upon his feet, 
wheel completely round, and walk directly into the 
water, a distance of about ten feet. He made his 
way through the bulrushes, at least ten feet more, 
until he reached a depth that brought the water to 
the top of his back, and there he lay, I presume, 
until the high tide floated him off, for he had not 
moved when the call of " Roast-beef" upon the drum 
and fife summoned us to dinner, at one o'clock. 

Another instance is a rather comical one that hap- 
pened to myself. I had been out to ride, one morn- 
ing, with Lieutenant Alexander, when, in returning, 
we saw in the road in front of us, at the distance of 



No. 46] Alligato?^s 1 4. 1 

a couple of hundred yards from the guard-house, an 
alligator about seven feet in length. He had come 
from the river, and was crossing the road to a pond 
near by. As we drew up for a moment to look at 
him, I happened to see lying by the road-side a pine 
pole of some ten feet long, and as thick as my arm, 
that had fallen from a passing wagon. This sug- 
gested to my mind the idea of having a little en- 
counter with the fellow, with a view to capture him 
if I could. Accordingly I dismounted, and giving 
the reins to Alexander, I seized the pole, which was 
quite as much as I could manage with both hands. 

As I approached Mr. Alligator, swinging the pole 
in quite a threatening attitude around my head, he 
showed no disposition to back out ; but, on the con- 
trary, he at once faced me and advanced boldly with 
head erect, and hissing like forty geese. I stopped 
to receive him, and as he came within reach, I brought 
the pine pole down upon his head with all the force 
I was master of. This neither appalled him nor 
checked his advance, and he continued his charge, 
slowly to be sure, but with great determination, still 
uttering his hissing defiance, and totally regardless 
of the heavy blows I continued to pile upon his head. 
I was compelled to move backwards to keep out of 
reach of his open jaws, but I continued to hammer 
him well over the head all the time. 

At length my perseverance and the weight of the 
pine pole brought his head to the ground. I then 
took hold of the end of his tail with my left hand, 
and mounting my horse dragged my victim into the 
garrison. Having arrived at my quarters, I hitched 
my horse to the ring in a large live-oak in front, and 
leaving the alligator where he lay by the side of the 



142 Travellers [no. 46 

horse, I entered my sitting-room where the company 
clerk was engaged in making out some returns. 

While standing at the table looking at his work, a 
loud shout and a merry laugh from the parade-ground 
called me to the door. Here I beheld my friend, 
Master Alligator, with head up, marching with great 
dignity across the parade-ground toward the soldiers' 
barracks, while the men were collecting round him 
in high glee. Being much interested in my returns 
to be sent to Washington by the vessel now looked 
for, I resumed my work and heard no more of the 
alligator. He of course was only stunned by the 
hammering he had received, but many of the blows I 
gave him would singly have killed a horse. 



PART IV 

OUT WEST 



47. Building a Log Cabin 

By a Pioneer (1822) 

In building our cabin it was set north and south ; 
my brother used my father's pocket compass on the 
occasion, for we had no idea of Uving in a house that 
did not stand square with the earth itself. This 
showed our ignorance of the comforts and conven- 
iences of a pioneer life. The position of the house, 
end to the hill, necessarily elevated the lower end, 
and the determination to have both a north and south 
door, added much to the airiness of the house, par- 
ticularly after the green ash puncheons had shrunk 
so as to leave cracks in the floor and doors from one 
to two inches wide. At both the doors we had high, 
unsteady, and sometimes icy steps, made by piling up 
the logs cut out of the wall. We had a window, if it 
could be called a window, when, perhaps, it was the 
largest spot in the top, bottom, or sides of the cabin 
at which the wind could not enter. It was made by 
sawing out a log, and placing sticks across ; and then, 
by pasting an old newspaper over the hole, and apply- 
ing some hog's lard, we had a kind of glazing which 
shed a most beautiful and mellow light across the 
cabin when the sun shone on it. All other light en- 
tered at the doors, cracks, and chimney. 

143 



144 



Out JFest 



[No. 47 



Our cabin was twenty-four feet by eighteen. The 
west end was occupied by two beds, the centre of each 
side by a door, and here our symmetry had to stop, 
for on the side opposite the window were our shelves, 
made of clapboards, supported on pins driven into the 
logs. Upon these shelves my sister displayed, in 
ample order, a host of pewter plates, basins, dishes, 
and spoons, scoured and bright. It was none of your 
new-fangled pewter made of lead, but the best of 







''V 






A LOG CABIN. 



' «v- * . 



London pewter, which our father himself bought of 
the manufacturer. These were the plates upon which 
you could hold your meat so as to cut it without slip- 
ping and without dulling your knife. But, alas ! the 
days of pewter plates and sharp dinner knives have 
passed away. 

To return to our internal arrangements. A ladder 
of five rounds occupied the corner near the window. 
By this, when we got a floor above, we could ascend. 



No. 47] A Log Cabin ^45 

Our chimney occupied most of the east end ; there 
were pots and kettles opposite the window under the 
shelves, a gun on hooks over the north door, four 
split-bottom chairs, three three-legged stools, and a 
small eight by ten looking-glass sloped from the wall 
over a large towel and combcase. Our list of furni- 
ture was increased by a clumsy shovel and a pair of 
tongs, made with one shank straight, which was a cer- 
tain source of pinches and blood blisters. We had 
also a spinning-wheel and such things as were neces- 
sary to work it. It was absolutely necessary to have 
three-legged stools, as four legs of anything could not 
all touch the floor at the same time. 

The completion of our cabin went on slowly. The 
season was inclement, we were weak-handed and 
weak-pocketed, — in fact laborers were not to be had. 
We got our chimney up breast high as soon as we 
could, and got our cabin daubed as high as the joists 
outside. It never was daubed on the inside, for my 
sister, who was very nice, could not consent to " live 
right next to mud." My impression now is, that the 
window was not constructed till spring, for until the 
sticks and clay were put on the chimney we could 
have no need of a window ; for the flood of light which 
always poured into the cabin from the fireplace would 
have extinguished our paper window, and rendered it 
as useless as the moon at noonday. We got a floor 
laid overhead as soon as possible, perhaps in a month ; 
but when finished, the reader will readily conceive of 
its imperviousness to wind or weather, when we men- 
tion that it was laid of loose clapboards split from 
red oak, the stump of which may be seen beyond the 
cabin. That tree must have grown in the night, for 
it was so twisting that each board lay on two diago- 



146 



Out IVest tNo.48 



nally opposite corners ; and a cat might have shaken 
every board on our ceiling. 

It may be well to inform the unlearned reader 
that " clapboards " are such lumber as pioneers split 
throughout ; they resemble barrel staves before they 
are shaved, but are split longer, wider, and thinner ; 
of such our roof and ceiling were composed. " Pun- 
cheons " are planks made by splitting logs to about two 
and a half or three inches in thickness, and hewing 
them on one or both sides with the broad-axe ; of 
such our floor, doors, tables, and stools were manu- 
factured. The " eave-bearers " are those end logs 
which project over to receive the butting poles, against 
which the lower tier of clapboards rest to form the 
roof. The •" trapping " is the roof timbers, composing 
the gable end and the ribs. The " trap logs " are those 
of unequal length above the eave-bearers, which form 
the gable ends, and upon which the ribs rest. The 
"weight poles " are small logs laid on the roof, which 
weigh down the course of clapboards on which they 
lie, and against which the next course above is placed. 
The " knees " are pieces of heart timber placed above 
the butting poles, successively, to prevent the weight 
poles from rolling off. 



48. The Bear Tree 

Bv A Pioneer (1820) 

Among the first settlers of a new country, there 
are always found men of great courage. Indeed 
courage and daring are characteristic of the pioneers 
of any new region. All know (or ought to know) 



No. 48] T/ie Bear Tree 147 

before starting for a wilderness, that they will be 
called to encounter great dangers and difficulties. 
There is, however, a kind of venturous daring peculiar 
to the first settlers of a new country, such as General 
Putnam showed when he ventured into the wolf's 
den, at the time of the first settlement of Pomfret, 
Connecticut. 

A case of as great risk, intrepidity, and danger, 
took place at Greensburgh, Trumbull County, Ohio, 
soon after the commencement of the settlement at 
that place. In December, 1820, a man named Icha- 
bod Merritt, with two other companions (one of whom 
had been a sailor) went upon a hunting trip, and 
came upon the track of a full grown bear. There 
was a light snow, and after following for a time, they 
found he had ascended a huge white-wood. The tree 
had been broken off some seventy feet from the ground 
and they supposed that the bear must have secreted 
himself within its hollow at the top. 

Unwilling to lose their game, and ready for any 
daring enterprise, they looked about for ways and 
means to accomplish their object. They first proposed 
cutting the tree down ; but they had only one axe, 
and that a dull one, and the tree was sound at the 
root and not less than eighteen feet in circumference. 
They could not cut it down before sunset, and if left 
over night the bear would escape. The sailor pro- 
posed that if a smaller tree could be felled and lodged 
against the large one, he would climb it to the top 
and shoot the bear. A beech tree was therefore cut 
and lodged accordingly. The sailor, who had often 
ascended the waving mast, had now a chance to show 
his intrepidity upon a forest tree. 

Now he began to think how dangerous would be 



148 



Out IFest [No. 48 



his perch, should he succeed in gaining the top and 
miss his first shot. The enraged bear would un- 
doubtedly claim the premises, especially should it be 
a she bear with her cubs ; she would doubtless claim 
her right and title to that elevated position, and might 
have the best of the battle. In this case all would 
agree that the bear would have a choice of location 
and the advantage of position. In the struggle, too, 
the beech might be dislodged from the white-wood, 
and the sailor would either fall with it to the ground, 
or be left at the top of the tree. The first would be 
certain death, and the other would not be amusing. 

These were solemn thoughts for the sailor, and they 
weakened his nerve, so that when he attempted to 
climb, he could not ascend, after repeatedly trying, 
an inch farther than his companions could push him. 

Merritt was so vexed that he told the sailor to come 
down and let him try what he could do. He then 
slung his rifle to his hunting belt with the muzzle 
downwards and began to ascend the beech tree. He 
succeeded in getting from the topmost branches of 
the beech upon the limbs of the white-wood just high 
enough to look over into the hollow. It was dark, 
and all he could see was a pair of eyes several feet 
below him. He told his companions, charged them 
to shoot the bear the moment it came out of the tree, 
and called on them for protection, if he missed. 

Thereupon he fired into the tree, retreated back 
to the top of the beech and instantly re-loaded. 
Immediately the bear with two cubs came out of the 
hollow of the tree : one of the men below fired, but 
he missed. The cubs took to a limb while the old 
bear made towards Merritt. She was in a menacing 
attitude and but a few feet above him when he fired 



No. 49] The Pioneer 



149 



a second shot. The bear fell, just brushing against 
him as she went. Another hunter now came up and 
shot one of the cubs, and Merritt at his leisure re-loaded 
and shot the other. The hero of this brave hunt made 
his way down in safety and carried home plenty of 
meat for his family. 



49. The Pioneer's Watchful Dog 

By Felix Renick (1S42) 

At a time when the Indians still occasionally com- 
mitted depredations on the settlements in the neigh- 
borhood of the Virginia town of Clarksburg, Hughs 
and one of his neighbors had business on the Ohio : 
they therefore agreed to go together ; and, as the 
saying is, to kill two birds with one stone, for they 
concluded to make a hunting expedition of it. They 
set out by a new route, traveled slowly and killed 
what game they could, leaving the skins to take 
home with them on their return. On the second or 
third evening of the trip, they made their camp in 
time to prepare and eat their supper before nightfall. 

Here is a good place to describe the dress and 
habits of such bold foresters. They always chose a 
camping-place as near water as convenient, and kin- 
dled their fire by the side of the largest suitable log 
that could be found. Ground was chosen somewhat 
inclined, so that they might lie with the feet to the 
fire and the head uphill. The common mode of pre- 
paring food, was to sharpen a stick at both ends and 
stick one end into the ground in front of the fire, 
with their meat on the other end. The stick and its 
burden could be turned round, as occasion required, 




LLWl^ l^ I I'l \^ I'KF.SS. 



No. 49] T/ie Pioneer 151 

so as to roast through. Bread, when there was flour 
to make it of, was either baked under the ashes, 
or the dough was rolled in long rolls and wound 
round a stick like that prepared for roasting meat, 
and managed in the same way. 

The pioneer's dress consisted principally of a tow 
linen shirt and pantaloons, manufactured by wives 
and daughters. The rest of their dress was nearly 
all of buckskin, killed with their guns and dressed 
by their own hands. Their moccasins fitted the foot 
neatly, and dry oak leaves usually supplied the place 
of socks or stockings. Above these they wore a pair 
of buckskin leggins, or gaiters, made to fit the leg 
and tie in with the moccasins at the ankle ; thence 
extending some distance above the knees, and held 
by a strap from the hip of the pantaloons. These 
leggins were a defence against rattlesnakes, briars, 
and nettles. In cutting the leggins, the surplus left 
on the outer seam was hung out from one to two 
inches in width, and was cut into an ornamental 
fringe. The hunting shirt comes next. It too was 
made of dressed buckskin, and in the same way orna- 
mented with the fringe down the outside of the arms, 
around the collar, cape, belt, and skirts, and some- 
times down the seams under the arms. 

Such was the equipment of the hero of our narra- 
tive and his friend. As was customary, they took 
off their moccasins to dry them. The gaiters and 
hunting shirt were usually taken off and placed under 
their owner's head in place of a pillow. A huntsman 
without a dog would have been considered a fool ; 
accordingly, a dog, faithful and well trained, Hughs 
and his friend had with them. At dusk they began 
to make some preparations for lying down, by 



152 Out West [No. 49 

unbuttoning their leggins and loosing their belts. 
Hughs soon discovered that his dog was very rest- 
less. He would run out a few steps, snuff and scent 
the air, and frequently give a low stifled growl. 

Hughs' suspicion made him decline undressing 
any further, and he buckled up his belt again ; but, 
unfortunately, as may be seen from the sequel, he 
forgot to button the straps of his leggins to the hips 
of his pantaloons. After watching his dog for some 
time, he spoke to his friend, and told him that he 
was afraid there were Indians about. His friend 
thought it hardly possible, for they had discovered 
no Indian signs, nor heard the crack of any rifle but 
their own : he could not believe that they were followed. 

This reasoning did not satisfy either Hughs or his 
dog. Hughs told his friend that they had better 
leave the camp and watch it from a little distance ; 
if there were Indians about, as he was convinced, 
they would break on the camp as soon as they sup- 
posed the white men had gone to sleep, or in the 
morning ; if he was right in his suspicion, they could 
kill at least two Indians, and then, perhaps might 
get off. 

Nothing could induce his friend to believe that 
there was any danger, and he refused to leave the 
camp. Hughs then told him that he would not leave 
him alone, but they must sleep on their arms and be 
ready for anything that might happen. To this his 
friend agreed. Hughs and his dog had a poor night's 
rest ; and as soon as day began fairly to break, the 
dog broke out into a furious bark. They both sprang 
to their feet at the same instant that a volley of rifle 
shot was poured in upon them. Hughs' friend was 
killed on the spot, but he himself received no injury 



No. 50] Frontier Neighbours 153 

except a bullet or two through his hunting-shirt. 
He took to his heels with a whole band of Indians 
close after him ; but luckily for him, their guns were 
empty. At first he out-ran them with ease, but his 
loosened leggins slipped down about his ankles, and 
got over his feet and hampered him so much, that 
the Indians began to gain on him. He must get 
clear of his leggins or lose his scalp. Straining 
every nerve, he ran up a ridge and a little beyond 
the top he stopped, and tore off his leggins. By this 
time the Indians came up nearly within tomahawk 
distance of him ; relieved of his embarrassment, he 
again set off at the top of his speed and soon gained 
a safe distance. As he passed over the top of the 
next high ridge he gave a loud shout of triumph, well 
understood by the Indians ; for they gave up the 
chase, and let him make for home at his leisure. 



50. A Frontier Neighbour and a 
Kentucky Conjurer 

Bv James Hall (1835) 

The individual alluded to, settled here at a time 
when there was not a single white man but himself 
in the vicinity, and here he had resided, with his wife, 
for a year, without having seen the face of any other 
human being. Perhaps, as it was his choice to re- 
side in a wilderness, he thought it prudent to con- 
ceal his place of abode from the Indians, for he 
erected his cabin in an inhospitable waste, difficult 
of access, where there were no pastures to invite the 



1^4 ^^^^ West [No. 50 

deer or buffalo, and no game to allure the savage 
hunter, and where his family remained secure, while 
he roved with his gun over some hunting ground at 
a convenient distance. 

After passing a year in this mode of life, he wan- 
dered one day through the woods in search of game, 
when he heard the barking of a dog, and supposing 
that an Indian was near, concealed himself. Pres- 
ently a small dog came running along his track, with 
his nose to the ground, as if pursuing his footsteps. 
It had nearly reached his hiding-place, when it 
stopped, snuffed the air, and uttered a low whine, as 
if to warn its master, that the object of pursuit was 
near at hand. In a few minutes the owner of the 
dog came stepping cautiously along, glancing his 
eyes around, and uttering low signals to the dog. 
But the dog stood at fault, and the owner halted, 
within a few yards of our hunter, and fully exposed 
to view. 

The new comer was a tall athletic man, completely 
armed, with rifle, tomahawk, and knife ; but whether 
he was a white man or an Indian, could not be deter- 
mined, either by his complexion or dress. He wore 
a hunting shirt and leggins, of dressed deer skin, and 
a hat from which the rim was entirely torn away, and 
the crown elongated into the shape of a sugar loaf. 
His face, feet, and hands, which were exposed, were 
of the tawny hue of the savage, but whether the col- 
our was natural, or the effect of exposure, could not 
be ascertained even by the keen eye of the hunter. 
His features were so disguised by dirt and gunpow- 
der, that their expression afforded no clue, by which' 
could be decided, whether the individual was a friend 
or a foe. 



No. 50J F?'ontiei^ Neighbour's 155 

There was but a moment for deliberation, and after 
a hasty scrutiny, the pioneer, inclining to the opin- 
ion that the stranger-was an Indian, cautiously drew 
up his rifle, and took a deliberate aim ; but the bare 
possibility that he might be pointing his weapon at 
the bosom of a countryman, induced him to pause. 
Again he raised his gun, and again hesitated, while 
his opponent with his rifle half raised towards his 
face, and his finger on the trigger, looked eagerly 
around. Both stood motionless and silent, one 
searching for the object of his pursuit, the other in 
readiness to fire. At length the hunter, having re- 
solved to delay no longer, cocked his rifle ; the tick 
reached the acute ear of his opponent, who instantly 
sprung behind a tree. The hunter imitated his ex- 
ample, and they were now fairly opposed, each 
covered by a tree, from behind which he endeav- 
oured to get a shot at his adversary without exposing 
his own person. Now a series of stratagems began, 
each seeking to draw the fire of the other until the 
stranger, becoming weary of suspense, called out, 
" Why don't you shoot, you coward } " " Shoot, your- 
self, you red-skin," retorted the other. " No more a 
red-skin than yourself." "Are you a white man.'" 
" To be sure I am, are you .-' " "Yes — no mistake 
in me." Whereupon each being undeceived, they 
threw down their guns, rushed together with open 
arms, and took a hearty hug. 

The hunter now learned, that the stranger had 
been settled, with his family, about ten miles from 
him, for several months past, and that they had often 
roamed over the same hunting grounds each suppos- 
ing himself the sole inhabitant of that region. On 
the following day the hunter saddled his horse, and 



156 



Out IFest [No. 50 



taking up his good wife behind him, carried her 
down, to make a call upon her new neighbour, who 
received the visit with joy. 

An anecdote is told of Boone, which is highly 
characteristic of the humour and the coolness of the 
pioneer He was once resting in the woods, with a 
small number of followers, when a large party of 
Indians came suddenly upon them and halted ; 
neither party had discovered the other until they 
came in contact. The whites were eating ; and the 
Indians, with the ready tact for which they are 
famous, sat down with perfect composure and com- 
menced eating also. It was obvious that they wished 
to lull the suspicions of the white men, and to seize 
a favourable opportunity for rushing upon them. 

Boone affected a careless inattention ; but in an 
under tone, quietly admonished his men to keep 
their hands upon their rifles. He then strolled 
towards the Indians, unarmed, and leisurely picking 
the meat from a bone ; the Indian leader, who was 
similarly employed, rose to meet him. Boone saluted 
him, and then requested to look at the knife with 
which the Indian was cutting his meat. The chief 
handed it to him without hesitation ; and our pio- 
neer, who, with his other accomplishments, possessed 
considerable expertness at sleight of hand, deliber- 
ately opened his mouth and affected to swallow the 
long knife, which, at the same instant, he threw 
adroitly into his sleeve. 

The Indians were astonished ; Boone gulped, 
rubbed his throat, stroked his body, and then, with 
apparent satisfaction, pronounced the horrid mouth- 
ful to be very good. He enjoyed the surprise of the 
spectators for a few moments, then made another con- 



No. 50] Conjurers 157 

tortion, drew forth the knife, as they supposed, from 
his body, and civilly returned it to the chief. The 
latter took the point cautiously between his thumb and 
finger, as if fearful of being contaminated by touch- 
ing the weapon, and threw it from him into the 
bushes. The pioneer sauntered back to his party ; 
and the Indians, instantly despatching their meal, 
marched off, desiring no farther intercourse with a 
man who could swallow a scalping-knife. 

A singular manoeuvre was practised by a party of 
Indians, who had stolen some horses on Elkhorn, in 
1788. They were pursued by a superior number of 
Americans, for about twenty miles, and overtaken 
at a spot in a brushy copse of wood where they had 
halted to rest. The whites came upon them sud- 
denly, and the parties discovered each other simul- 
taneously. The pursuers made preparations to fire ; 
the Indians sprang up from the ground, on which 
they were sitting, and gave a yell ; but, instead of 
making any show of resistance, ran about as if dis- 
tracted. One, who was probably the chief, threw 
himself between the two parties, and continued to 
scream and jump, dodging from side to side, springing 
aloft, and throwing his body into violent contortions. 

This strange exhibition attracted the attention of 
the Kentuckians, and prevented them from firing ; 
while the other Indians, gathering up their guns and 
blankets, disappeared. When the dexterous savage, 
perceiving that his comrades were so scattered as to 
be safe from immediate danger, he suddenly threw 
off his feigned character, dashed into the bushes, and 
made his escape, leaving a foe superior in numbers, 
bewildered with amazement at this extemporaneous 
display of ingenuity. 



158 Out West [No. 51 

51. A Bear Hunt in Lake 
Michigan 

By Charles Cleaver (about 1830) 

As for Wilson's bear story, it is actually true that 
he took a large bear in Lake Michigan, or rather out 
of the lake, northwest of Waukegan. I was going 
up to Milwaukee at the time, in one of the big steam- 
ers, and was sitting reading in the cabin, when the 
Captain rushed in, evidently very much excited, and 
snatched his glass from the table. I inquired what 
was the matter ; he said there was something in the 
lake about two miles ahead, and they could not make 
out what it was. Of course my book was dropped 
in a moment, and I hastened after the Captain to the 
bow of the boat. There I found most of the few 
passengers on board anxiously trying to make out 
this strange object. Those used to sailing can form 
some idea of the commotion caused on board a craft 
when anything unusual is sighted. 

The Captain, after examination by glass, first said 
it was a horse, then a deer, and, on getting nearer, 
declared it to be a bear. He decided at once that he 
would catch him at all hazard, and, on calling for 
volunteers, found no want of men willing to under- 
take the task. So the small boat was lowered, with 
four stalwart sailors at the oars, the mate at the helm, 
and a man at the bow, with a rope, in which he made 
a slip-noose. They started for poor Bruin, and when 
he found that they were after him, he made most excel- 
lent time toward the middle of the lake, and for a mile 
or two led them a splendid race, before they came up 



No. 51] A Bear Hunt 159 

with him. After two or three attempts, the man at 
the bow threw the fatal noose over his head. Di- 
rectly the bear found he was caught, he turned and 
made for the boat, evidently intending to carry the 
war into the enemy's camp ; but they were too quick 
for him, since they did not like the idea of having a 
bear for a passenger. They turned and rowed for 
the steamer with all their might. This brought poor 
Bruin's nose under the water, and, by the time they 
reached the steamboat, which had been following 
pretty close in the wake of the pursuers, he was 
almost drowned. 

The rope was thrown to the deck ; we soon hauled 
him in ; and then held a council-of-war as to what 
should be done with him. It was at first suggested 
that he should be chained up, and a large chain was 
brought and put round his neck. Then some ladies 
came to look at him, and exclaimed, " Oh the horrid 
great creature ! do kill him ! " Some person stand- 
ing by put his hand on the animal's heart and said 
he was fast recovering, and, if he was not killed, would 
soon be master of the boat. On which a bevy of 
female and some male voices, cried out to the Captain 
to have him killed at once. On a butcher offering 
to do the job, the Captain consented, and the bear 
was doomed to have his throat cut and die as igno- 
minious a death as any common porker. 

He was a noble fellow, black and tan, seven or 
eight feet in length, and, when he was skinned, 
showed such claws and muscles that the volunteers 
rejoiced that he did not make good his entry into the 
boat, for he would certainly have driven them into 
the water if they had escaped his claws and teeth. 

It was reported that a farmer drove him into the 



1 6 o Out West [No. 52 

lake. On my return to land, two days after, I made 
several inquiries, and was told he was driven into the 
lake the evening before ; but I always doubted the 
truth of his swimming in the water all night and half 
the next day. I am inclined to the opinion that he 
was driven in that same morning, and, when he found 
he was watched from the shore, put well out into 
the lake for safety. It is certain that when first 
seen by us he was swimming from the shore, and 
was fully five miles out. 



52. Killing a Panther 

By Randolph Barnes Marcy (1852) 

In the evening, shortly after we had turned out our 
animals to graze, and had made everything snug and 
comfortable about us, one of the hunters came into 
camp and informed us that a panther had crossed the 
creek but a short distance above, and was coming 
towards us. This piece of intelligence, as may be 
supposed, created no little excitement in our quiet 
circle. Everybody was up in an instant, seized mus- 
kets, rifles, or any other weapon that came to hand, 
and, followed by all the dogs in camp, a very general 
rush was made towards the spot indicated by the 
Delaware. On reaching the place, we found where 
the animal, in stepping from the creek, had left water 
upon his track ; this was not yet dry, and showed 
that he had passed within a short time. We pointed 
out the track to several of the dogs, and endeavored, 
by every means which our ingenuity could suggest, 
to inspire them with some small degree of that enthu- 
siasm which had animated us. We coaxed, cheered, 



No. 52] Killi?ig a Panther i6i 

and scolded, put their noses into the track, clapped 
our hands, pointed in the direction of the trail, hissed, 
and made use of every argument to convince them 
that there was something of importance on hand ; but 
it was all to no purpose. They did not seem to enter 
into the spirit of the chase, or to regard the occasion 
as one in which there was much glory to be derived 
from following in the footsteps of their illustrious 
predecessor. On the contrary, the zeal which they 
showed in starting out from camp, suddenly abated 
as soon as they came in contact with the track, and 
it was with very great difficulty that we could prevent 
them from running away. 

At this moment, however, our old bear-dog came 
up, and no sooner had he caught a snuff of the at- 
mosphere than, suddenly coming to a stop and rais- 
ing his head into the air, he sent forth one prolonged 
note and started off in full cry upon the trail. He 
led off boldly into the timber, followed by the other 
dogs, who had now recovered confidence, while the 
men followed at their heels, cheering them on and 
shouting most vociferously, each one anxious to get 
the first ghmpse of the panther. They soon roused 
him from his lair, and after making a few circuits 
around the grove, he took to a tree. I was so fortu- 
nate as to reach tbe spot a little in advance of the 
party, and gave him a shot which brought him to the 
ground. The dogs then closed in with him, and 
others of the party coming up directly afterwards, 
fired several shots, which took effect and soon placed 
him " hors du combat." He was a fine specimen 
of the North American cougar, measuring eight 
and a half feet from his nose to the extremity of 
the tail. 



1 6 2 Out West [No. 53 

53. A Beaver Dam 

By Randolph Barnes Marcy (1852) 

A COMMUNITY of beavei's have selected a spot upon 
the creek near our camp, for their interesting labors 
and habitations. I know of no animal concerning 
which the accounts of travellers have been more 
extraordinary, more marvellous or contradictory, than 
those given of the beaver. By some he is elevated 
in point of intellect almost to a level with man. He 
has been said, for instance, to construct houses, with 
several floors and rooms ; to plaster the rooms with 
mud in such a manner as to make smooth walls, and 
to drive stakes of six or eight inches in diameter into 
the ground, and to perform many other astounding 
feats, which I am inclined to believe are not sup- 
ported by credible testimony. Laying aside these 
questionable statements, there is quite enough in the 
natural history of the beaver to excite our wonder 
and admiration. For instance, at this place, upon an 
examination of the dam they have constructed, I was 
both astonished and delighted at the wonderful sa- 
gacity, skill, and perseverance which they have shown. 

Having chosen a spot where the banks on each side 
of the creek were narrow and sufficiently high to 
raise a head of about five feet, they selected two 
cotton-wood trees fifteen inches in diameter, situated 
above this point, and inclined towards the stream : 
these they cut down with their teeth, (as the marks 
upon the stumps plainly showed,) floated them down 
to the position chosen for the dam, and placed them 
across the stream with an inclination downward, 
unitinti' in the centre. This formed the foundation 



No. 54] A Wild Horse 163 

upon which the superstructure of brush and earth 
was placed, in precisely the same manner as a brush 
dam is made by our millwrights, with the bushes and 
earth alternating and packed closely, the butts in all 
cases turned down the stream. After this is raised 
to a sufficient height, the top is covered with earth, 
except in the centre, where there is a sluice or waste- 
wier, which lets off the superfluous water when it 
rises so high as to endanger the structure. In exam- 
ining the results of the labors of these ingenious ani- 
mals, it occurred to me that the plan of erecting our 
brush dams must have been originally suggested from 
seeing those of the beavers, as they are very similar. 
I watched for some time upon the banks of the 
pond, but could see none of the animals. I presume 
they think we make too much noise in our camp to 
suit them, and deem it most prudent to remain con- 
cealed in their sub-marine houses. I observed one 
place above the pond where they had commenced 
another dam, and had progressed so far as to cut 
down two trees on opposite sides of the creek ; but 
as they did not fall in the right direction to suit their 
purposes, the work was abandoned. 



54. A Horse in a California Bar- 
room 

Bv Mrs. D. B. Bates (1858) 

While stopping at the Tremont House, I witnessed 
what to me was a novel sight ; and I will endeavor 
to relate, in a manner which I hope will interest, the 
method of taming a wild horse. The first thing I 



164 



Out West [No. 54 



saw was an unusual collection of people, and in their 
midst a horse blindfolded, with a Mexican vaquero in 
the act of mounting. When once seated on the back 
of these wild, fleet animals of the plains, it is next to 
an impossibility to unhorse these men. From the 
nature of their pursuits and amusements, they have 
brought horsemanship to a degree of perfection 
challenging admiration, and exciting astonishment. 
All things being in readiness, the blinder was re- 
moved. The horse, for the first time in his life 
feeling the weight of man upon his back, with dis- 
tended nostrils, eyes glaring like orbs of fire, and 
protruding from their sockets, gave a succession of 
fierce snorts, performed sundry evolutions which 
would have puzzled the master of a gymnasium to 
have imitated, and then dashed off at a furious rate, 
determined to free himself from his captor, or die in 
the attempt. 

It was an exciting and cruel sport to witness. The 
reeking sides of the poor beast were covered with 
foam and blood, which had been drawn by driving 
those merciless spurs into the flesh. Both horse and 
rider would disappear for a few moments in some 
distant part of the town, then reappear again, dash- 
ing madly on. Finally, the horse, in passing the 
Tremont Hotel, which was all thrown open in front 
to admit air, sprang, quick as a flash, upon the piazza, 
and dashed into the bar-room. In making his ingress 
so suddenly, the Mexican's head had been forcibly 
struck against the top of the door, and he fell 
stunned to the floor. The inmates of the bar-room, 
about twenty in number, fled in every direction. The 
bar-keeper, a very corpulent person, went out through 
a small back window — so small, that, upon ordinary 



No. 54] A Wild Horse 165 

occasions, he would never have had the presumption 
to attempt it, for it actually endangered his life sud- 
denly to thrust his portly figure through so small an 
aperture ; but now, out of two evils, he was forced to 
choose the least. The horse, finding himself in un- 
disputed possession of the room, stood for a moment 
looking at himself in a large mirror hung behind 
the long marble slab. Then he dashed furiously at 
the bar, upset it, smashed the splendid mirror into a 
thousand pieces, broke the cut-glass decanters, while 
the contents ran upon the floor. He also broke to 
pieces several large arm-chairs, valued at twelve dol- 
lars apiece. Then he passed through a side-door into 
a large saloon, and crossed that without doing any 
material damage. As the horse was leaving the house, 
the Mexican, who recovered his senses, sprang with 
surprising agility upon his back, and the race for 
freedom again commenced ; but this time it was not 
for long. The horse, reduced almost to prostration, 
yielded to the superior power of man, and was taken, 
more dead than alive, to a stable, rubbed down, 
placed in a stall, fed, and petted ; and, from the 
hour in which he unwillingly gave up a life of free- 
dom, never more to roam with a wild herd over broad 
plains and flowery vales, he was a gentle, submissive 
slave. 

The wild horse is gracefully formed, with flowing 
tail and mane ; but I never saw one that was fat : 
they race their flesh off. The man who owned the 
horse readily paid the expenses of refitting the bar- 
room. The amount of pro]:)erty he destroyed was at 
that time estimated at a thousand dollars. 



i66 



Out West 



[No. 55 



K^c^, On the Road 

By Franxis Parkman (1847) 

We were moving slowly along, not far from a patch 
of woods which lay on the right. Jack rode a little in 
advance, when suddenly he faced about, pointed to 
the woods, and roared out to his brother, — 

"O Bill! here's a cow." 

The Captain instantly galloped forward, and he 
and Jack made a vain attempt to capture the prize ; 




THE OREGON TRAIL. 



but the cow, with a well-grounded distrust of their 
intentions, took refuge among the trees. Rob joined 
them, and they soon drove her out. We watched 
their evolutions as they galloped around her, trying 
in vain to noose her with their trail-ropes, which they 
had converted into lariettes for the occasion. At 
length they resorted to milder measures, and the cow 



No. 55] On the Road 167 

was driven along with the party. Soon after, the 
usual thunder-storm came up, and the wind blew with 
such fury that the streams of rain flew almost hori- 
zontally along the prairie, and roared like a cataract. 
The horses turned tail to the storm, and stood hang- 
ing their heads, bearing the infliction with an air of 
meekness and resignation ; while we drew our heads 
between our shoulders, and crouched forward, so as 
to make our back serve as a shed for the rest of our 
persons. 

Meanwhile the cow, taking advantage of the 
tumult, ran off, to the great discomfiture of the Cap- 
tain. In defiance of the storm, he pulled his cap 
tight over his brows, jerked a huge buffalo-pistol 
from his holster, and set out at full speed after her. 
This was the last we saw of them for some time, for 
the mist and rain made an impenetrable veil ; but at 
length we heard the' Captain's shout, and saw him 
looming through the tempest, the picture of a Hiber- 
nian cavalier, with his cocked pistol held aloft for 
safety's sake, and a countenance of anxiety and ex- 
citement. The cow trotted before him, but exhibited 
evident signs of an intention to run off again, and the 
Captain was roaring to us to head her. But the rain 
had got in behind our coat collars, and was travelling 
over our necks in numerous little streamlets, and being 
afraid to move our heads, for fear of admitting more, 
we sat stiff and immovable, looking at the Captain 
askance, and laughing at his frantic movements. 
At last the cow made a sudden plunge and ran off ; 
the Captain grasped his pistol firmly, spurred his 
horse, and galloped after, with evident designs of 
mischief. In a moment we heard the faint report, 
deadened by the rain, and then the conqueror and 



1 68 Out West [No. 56 

his victim reappeared. Not long after, the storm 
moderated, and we advanced again. The cow walked 
painfully along under the charge of Jack, to whom 
the Captain had committed her, while he himself 
rode forward in his old capacity of vidette. We were 
approaching a long line of trees, that followed a 
stream stretching across our path, far in front, when 
we beheld the vidette galloping towards us apparently 
much excited, but with a broad grin on his face. 

"Let that cow drop behind!" he shouted to us; 
"here's her owners." 

And, in fact, as we approached the line of trees, a 
large white object, like a tent, was visible behind 
them. On approaching, however, we found, instead 
of the expected Mormon camp, nothing but the lonely 
prairie, and a large white rock standing by the path. 
The cow, therefore, resumed her place in our proces- 
sion. 



56. The Bee-hunter 

By Thomas Thorpe (1846) 

It was on a beautiful Southern October morning, 
at the hospitable mansion of a friend, that I first had 
the pleasure of seeing Tom Owen. He was on this 
occasion straggling up the rising ground that led to 
the house of my host. His head was adorned with 
an outlandish pattern of a hat ; his legs were clad in 
a pair of trousers, beautifully fringed by the brier- 
bushes through which they were often drawn ; coats 
and vests he considered as superfluities ; hanging 
upon his back were a couple of pails ; and an axe in 



No. 56] The Bee- hunter 169 

his right hand formed the varieties that represented 
Tom Owen. As is usual with great men, he had 
his followers, and with a courtier-like humility they 
depended upon the expression of his face for all their 
hopes of success. I 

The usual salutations of meeting were sufficient to 
draw me within the circle of his influence, and I at 
once became one of his most ready .followers. " See 
yonder ! " said Tom, stretching his long arm into 
infinite space, " see yonder — there's a bee." We all 
looked in the direction he pointed, but that was the 
extent of our observation. " It was a,' fine bee," con- 
tinued Tom, " black body, yellow legs, and into that 
tree," pointing to a towering oak, blue in the dis- 
tance. " On a clear day I can see a bee over a mile, 
easy ! " 

After a variety of wandering through the thick 
woods, and clambering over fences, we came to our 
place of destination as pointed '■■ out by Tom ; he 
selected a mighty tree whose trunk contained the 
sweets, the possession of which tlr^ poets have lik- 
ened to other sweets that leave a sting behind. The 
felling of a great tree is a sight that calls up a variety 
of emotions ; and Tom's game was lodged in one of 
the finest in the forest. But "the axe was laid at the 
root of the tree," which, in Tom's mind, was made 
expressly for bees to build their nests in, that he 
might cut them down and obtain possession thereof. 
The sharp sounds of the axe as it played in the hands 
of Tom, and was replied to by a stout negro from the 
opposite side, rapidly gained upon the heart of the 
lordly sacrifice. There was little poetry in the thought 
that long before this mighty empire of states was 
formed, Tom Owen's " bee-hive " had stretched its 



I 7 o Out West [No. 56 

brawny arms to the winter's blast and grown green 
in the summer's sun. Yet such was the case, and 
how long I might have moralized I know not, had 
not the enraged buzzing about my ears satisfied me 
that the occupants of the tree were not going to give 
up their home and treasure without showing consid- 
erable practical fight. No sooner had the little in- 
sects satisfied themselves that they were about to be 
invaded than they began one after another to descend 
from their airy abode and fiercely pitch into our faces ; 
anon a small company, headed by an old veteran, 
would charge with its entire force upon all parts of 
our body at once. It need not be said that the better 
part of valor was displayed by a precipitate retreat 
from such attacks. 

In the midst of this warfare the tree began to trem- 
ble with the fast-repeated strokes of the axe, and then 
might have been seen a bee-hive of stingers precipi- 
tating themselves from above on the unfortunate 
hunter beneath. Now it was that Tom shone forth 
in his glory. 

His partisans, like many hangers-on about great 
men, began to desert him on the first symptoms of 
danger ; and when the trouble thickened, they one 
and all, took to their heels, and left only our hero 
and Sambo to fight their adversaries. Sambo, how- 
ever, soon dropped his axe and fell into all kinds of 
contortions ; first he would seize the back of his neck 
with his hands, then his shins, and yell with pain. 
" Don't holler, nigger, till you get out of the woods," 
said the sublime Tom, consolingly; but writhe he did, 
until he broke and left Tom " alone in his glory." 

Cut — -thwack! sounded through the confused hum 
at the foot of the tree, marvellously reminding me of 



No. 56] T/ie Bee-hunter 171 

the interruptions that occasionally broke in upon the 
otherwise monotonous hours of my school-boy days. 
A sharp cracking finally told me the chopping was 
done, and looking aloft, I saw the mighty tree bal- 
ancing in the air. Slowly and majestically it bowed 
for the first time towards its mother earth, gaining 
velocity as it descended, shivering the trees that in- 
terrupted its downward course, and falling with thun- 
dering sound, splintering its mighty limbs and burying 
them deeply in the ground. 

The sun, for the first time in at least two centuries, 
broke uninterruptedly through the chasm made in the 
forest, and shone with splendor upon the magnificent 
Tom standing a conqueror among his spoils. 

As might be expected, the bees were very much 
astonished and confused, and by their united voices 
they proclaimed death to all their foes. But the wary 
hunter was up to the tricks of this trade, and, like a 
politician, he knew how easily an enraged mob could 
be quelled with smoke ; and smoke he tried until his 
enemies were completely destroyed. We, Tom's 
hangers-on, now approached his treasure. It was 
a rich one, and, as he observed, " contained a rich 
chance of plunder." Nine feet, by measurement, of 
the hollow of the tree was full, and this afforded many 
pails of pure honey. Tom was liberal, and supplied 
us all with more than we wanted, and with Sambo's 
help, "toted" his share to his own home, where it 
was soon devoured and replaced by the destruction 
of another tree and another nation of bees. 



PART V 
INDIANS 



57. A Little Indian Captive 

By Mrs. Juliette A. Kinzie (1779) 
I 

On a bright afternoon in the autumn of 1779, two 
children of Mr. Lytle, a girl of nine, and her brother, 
two years younger, were playing in a little dingle or 
hollow in the rear of their father's house. Some 
large trees, which had been recently felled, were 
lying here and there, still untrimmed of their 
branches, and many logs, prepared for fuel, were 
scattered around. Upon one of these the children, 
wearied with their sports, seated themselves, and to 
beguile the time they fell into conversation upon a 
subject that greatly perplexed them. 

While playing in the same place a few hours pre- 
vious, they had imagined they saw an Indian lurking 
behind one of the fallen trees. The Indians of the 
neighborhood were in the habit of making occasional 
visits to the family, and they had become familiar 
and even affectionate with many of them, but this 
seemed a stranger, and after the first hasty glance 
they fled in alarm to the house. 

173 



174 Indians [no. 57 

Their mother chid them for the report they brought, 
which she endeavored to convince them was without 
foundation. "You know," said she, "you are always 
alarming us unnecessarily — the neighbors' children 
have frightened you to death. Go back to your play 
and learn to be more courageous." 

So the children returned to their sports, hardly 
persuaded by their mother's arguments. While they 
were thus seated upon the trunk of the tree, their 
discourse was interrupted by the note, apparently, of 
a quail not far off. 

" Listen," said the boy, as a second note answered 
the first, " do you hear that .'' " 

" Yes," was the reply, and after a few moments' 
silence, " do you not hear a rustling among the 
branches of the tree yonder .'' " 

" Perhaps it is a squirrel — but look ! what is that } 
Surely I saw something red among the branches. It 
looked like a fawn popping up its head." 

At this moment, the children who had been 
gazing so intently in the direction of the fallen tree 
that all other objects were forgotten, felt themselves 
seized from behind and pinioned in an iron grasp. 
What were their horror and dismay to find them- 
selves in the arms of savages, whose terrific coun- 
tenances and gestures plainly showed them to be 
enemies ! 

After a toilsome and painful march of many days, 
the party reached the Seneca village, upon the head- 
waters of the Allegany, near what is now called 
Olean Point. On their arrival the chief, their con- 
ductor, who was distinguished by the name of Big- 
White-Man, led his prisoners to the principal lodge. 
This was occupied by his mother, the widow of the 



No. 57] yl Little Captive 175 

head-chief of that band, who was called by them the 
Old Queen. 

On entering her presence, her son presented her 
the little girl, saying : 

" My mother — I bring you a child to supply the 
place of my brother, who was killed by the Lenape 
six moons ago. She shall dwell in my lodge, and be 
to me a sister. Treat her kindly — our father will 
give us many horses and guns to buy her back 
again." 

The Old Queen fulfilled the injunctions of her son. 
She received the prisoners, and every comfort was 
provided them that her simple and primitive mode of 
life rendered possible. 

A treaty was immediately entered into for the ran- 
som of the captives, which was easily accomplished 
in regard to the younger child. But no offers, no 
entreaties, no promises, could procure the release of 
the little Eleanor, the adopted child of the tribe. 
" No," the chief said, " she was his sister ; he had 
taken her to supply the place of his brother who was 
killed by the enemy — she was dear to him, and he 
would not part with her." 

Finding every effort unavailing to shake this reso- 
lution, the father was at length compelled to take his 
sorrowful departure with such of his beloved ones as 
he had had the good fortune to recover. 

Time rolled on, and every year the hope of recover- 
ing the little captive became more faint. She, in the 
meantime, continued to wind herself more and more 
closely around the heart of her Indian brother. Noth- 
ing could exceed the consideration and affection with 
which she was treated, not only by himself, but by his 
mother, the Old Queen. All their stock of brooches 



176 



Indians [no. 57 



and wampum was employed in the decoration of her 
person. The principal seat and the most delicate 
viands were invariably reserved for her, and no 
efforts were spared to promote her happiness, and 
to render her forgetful of her former home and 
kindred. 

The only drawback to the happiness of the little 
prisoner, aside from her longings after her own dear 
home, was the enmity she encountered from the wife 
of the Big-White-Man. This woman, from the day of 
her arrival at the village, and adoption into the family 
as a sister, had conceived for her the greatest ani- 
mosity, which, at first, she had the prudence to con- 
ceal from the observation of her husband. 

One afternoon, during the temporary absence of 
the Old Queen, her daughter-in-law entered the lodge 
with a bowl of something she had prepared, and 
stooping down to the mat on which the child lay, 
said, in an affectionate accent, 

" Drink, my sister. I have brought you that which 
will drive this fever far from you." 

On raising her head to reply, the little girl per- 
ceived a pair of eyes peeping through a crevice in 
the lodge, and fixed upon her with a very peculiar 
and significant expression. With the quick percep- 
tion acquired partly from nature, and partly from her 
intercourse with this people, she replied faintly, 

" Set it down, my sister. When this fit of the fever 
has passed, I will drink your medicine." 

The squaw, too cautious to use importunity, busied 
herself about in the lodge for a short time, then with- 
drew to another, near at hand. Meantime, the bright 
eyes continued peering through the opening, until 
they had watched their object fairly out of sight, then 



No. 57] A Little Captive 177 

a low voice, the voice of a young friend and play- 
fellow, spoke, 

" Do not drink that, which your brother's wife has 
brought you. She hates you, and is only waiting an 
opportunity to rid herself of you. I have watched 
her all the morning, and have seen her gathering the 
most deadly herbs. I knew for whom they were 
intended, and came hither to warn you." 

"Take the bowl," said the little invalid, "and carry 
it to my mother's lodge." 

This was accordingly done. The contents of the 
bowl were found to consist principally of a decoction 
of the root of the May-apple, the most deadly poison 
known among the Indians. 

It is not in the power of language to describe the 
indignation that pervaded the little community when 
this discovery was made known. The squaws ran to 
and fro, as is their custom when excited, each vying 
with the other in heaping invectives upon the culprit. 
No further punishment was, however, for the present 
inflicted upon her, but the first burst of rage over, she 
was treated v/ith silent abhorrence. 

The little patient was removed to the lodge of the 
Old Queen, and strictly guarded, while her enemy 
was left to wander in silence and solitude about the 
fields and woods, until the return of her husband 
should determine her punishment. 

In a few days, the excursion being over, the Big- 
White-Man and his party returned to the village. 
Contrary to the usual custom of savages, he did not, 
in his first transport at learning the attempt on the 
life of his little sister, take summary vengeance on 
the offender. He contented himself with banishing 
her from his lodge, never to return, and condemning 



178 



IndiaTis [No. 57 



her to hoe corn in a distant part of the large field or 
enclosure which served the whole community for a 
garden. 

Although she would still show her vindictive dis- 
position whenever, hy chance, the little girl with her 
companions wandered into that vicinity by striking 
at her with her hoe, or by some other spiteful mani- 
festation, yet she was either too well watched, or 
stood too much in awe of her former husband to 
repeat the attempt upon his sister's life. 

II 

Four years had now elapsed since the capture of 
little Nelly. Her heart was by nature warm and 
affectionate, so that the unbounded tenderness of 
those she dwelt among had called forth a correspond- 
ing feeling of affection in her heart. She regarded 
the Chief and his mother with love and reverence, 
and had so completely learned their language and 
customs as almost to have forgotten her own. 

So identified had she become with the tribe, that 
the remembrance of her home and family had nearly 
faded from her memory; all but her mother — her 
mother whom she had loved with a strength of affec- 
tion natural to her warm and ardent character, and 
to whom her heart still clung with a fondness that 
no time or change could destroy. 

The peace of 1783 between Great Britain and the 
United States now took place. A general pacifica- 
tion of the Indian tribes was the consequence, and 
fresh hopes were renewed in the bosoms of Mr. and 
Mrs. Lytle. 

They removed with their family to Fort Niagara, 



No. 57] A Little Captive 179 

near which, on the American side, was the great 
Council Fire of the Senecas. Col. Johnson readily 
undertook a fresh negotiation with the Chief, but in 
order to ensure every chance of success, he again pro- 
ceeded in person to the village of the Big-White-Man. 

His visit was most opportune. It was the "Feast 
of the Green Corn," when he arrived among them. 
Every one appeared in his gala dress. That of the 
little adopted child consisted of a petticoat of blue 
broadcloth, bordered with gay-colored ribbons ; a sack 
or upper garment of black silk, ornamented with 
three rows of silver brooches, the centre ones from 
the throat to the hem being of large size, and those 
from the shoulders down being no larger than a 
shilling-piece, and set as closely as possible. Around 
her neck were innumerable strings of white and pur- 
ple wampum, an Indian ornament manufactured from 
the inner surface of the mussel-shell. Her hair was 
clubbed behind, and loaded with beads of various 
colors. Leggings of scarlet cloth, and moccasins of 
deer-skin embroidered with porcupine quills, com- 
pleted her costume. 

Col. Johnson was received with all the considera- 
tion due to his position, and to the long friendship 
that had subsisted between him and the tribe. The 
Chief was induced to promise that at the Grand 
Council soon to be held at Fort Niagara he would 
attend, bringing his little sister with him. 

The time at length arrived when, her heart bound- 
ing with joy, little Nelly was placed on horseback to 
accompany her Indian brother to the great Council of 
the Senecas. She had promised him that she would 
never leave him without his permission, and he relied 
confidently on her word thus given. 



I 8 o Indians [no. 58 

The father and mother, attended by all the officers 
and ladies, stood upon the grassy bank awaiting their 
approach. They had seen at a glance that the little 
captive was with them. 

The Chief held his darling by the hand until the 
river was passed — until the boat touched the bank — 
until the child sprang forward into the arms of the 
mother from whom she had been so long separated. 

When the Chief witnessed that outburst of affection 
he could withstand no longer. 

" She shall go," said he. " The mother must have 
her child again. I will go back alone." 

With one silent gesture of farewell he turned and 
stepped on board the boat. No arguments or en- 
treaties could induce him to remain at the council, 
but having gained the other side of the Niagara, he 
mounted his horse, and with his young men was soon 
lost in the depths of the forest. 

Little Nelly saw her friend the Chief no more, but 
she never forgot him. To the day of her death she 
remembered with tenderness and gratitude her brother 
the Big- White-Man, and her friends and playfellows 
among the Senecas. 



58. A Scotchman and an Indian 
Joke 

By Hector St. John Crevecceur (1782) 



A FEW days after it happened the whole family of 
Mr. Phillip Rand went to meeting, and left Andrew 
to take care of the house. While he was at the door, 
attentively reading the Bible, nine Indians just come 



No. 58] 



Indian yoke 



181 




A child's moccasins. 



from the mountains, suddenly made their appearance, 
and unloaded their packs of furs on the floor of the 
piazza. Conceive, if you 
can, what was Andrew's 
consternation at this ex- 
traordinary sight ! From 
the singular appearance of 
these people, the honest 
Hebridean took them for 
a lawless band come to 
rob his master's house. 
He therefore, like a faith- 
ful guardian, precipitately 
withdrew, and shut the doors ; but as most of our 
houses are without locks, he was reduced to the 
necessity of fixing his knife over the latch, and then 
flew up stairs in quest of a broad sword he had brought 
from Scotland. The Indians, who were particular 
friends of the family, guessed at his suspicions and 
fears ; they forcibly lifted the door, and suddenly took 
possession of the house, got all the bread and meat 
they wanted, and sat themselves down by the fire. 

At this instant Andrew, with his broad sword in 
his hand, entered the room ; the Indians earnestly 
looking at him, and attentively watching his motions. 
After a very few reflections, Andrew found that his 
weapon was useless, when opposed to nine toma- 
hawks ; but this did not diminish his anger ; on the 
contrary, it grew greater on observing the calm im- 
pudence with which they were devouring the family 
provisions. Unable to resist, he called them names 
in broad Scotch, and ordered them to desist and be 
gone ; to which the Indians (as they told me after- 
wards) rephed in their equally broad idiom. It must 



I 8 2 Indians [no. 58 

have been a most unintelligible altercation between 
this honest Barra man, and nine Indians who did not 
much care for anything he could say. At last he 
ventured to lay his hands on one of them, in order to 
turn him out of the house. Here Andrew's iidelity 
got the better of his prudence ; for the Indian, by his 
motions, threatened to scalp him, while the rest gave 
the warwhoop. This horrid noise so effectually fright- 
ened poor Andrew, that, unmindful of his courage, 
of his broad sword, and his intentions, he rushed out, 
left them masters of the house, and disappeared. I 
have heard one of the Indians say since, that he never 
laughed so heartily in his life. 

Andrew at a distance, soon recovered from the 
fears which had been inspired by this infernal yell, 
and thought of no other remedy than to go to the 
meeting-house, which was about two miles distant. 
In the eagerness of his honest intentions, with looks 
of affright still marked on his countenance, he called 
Mr. Rand out, and told him with great vehemence of 
style, that nine monsters were come to his house — 
some blue, some red, and some black ; that they had 
little axes in their hands out of which they smoked ; 
and that like highlanders, they had no breeches ; that 
they were devouring all his victuals, and that God 
only knew what they would do more. " Pacify your- 
self," said Mr. Rand, "my house is as safe with these 
people, as if I was there myself ; as for the victuals, 
they are heartily welcome, honest Andrew ; they are 
not people of much ceremony ; they help themselves 
thus whenever they are among their friends ; I do 
so too in their wigwams, whenever I go to their 
village : you had better therefore stej) in and hear 
the remainder of the sermon, and when the meet- 



No. 59] Puc-Puggy 183 

ing is over we will all go back in the wagon 
together." 

At their return, Mr. Rand, who speaks the Indian 
language very well, explained the whole matter; the 
Indians renewed their laugh, and shook hands with 
honest Andrew, whom they made to smoke out of their 
pipes ; and thus peace was made, and ratified accord- 
ing to the Indian custom, by the calumet. 



59. Puc-Puggy and the Rattle- 
snake 

By William Bartram (1791) 

I WAS in the forenoon busy in my apartment in the 
council-house, drawing some curious flowers ; when, 
on a sudden, my attention was taken off by a tumult 
without, at the Indian camp. I stepped to the door 
opening to the piazza, where I met my friend the old 
interpreter, who informed me that there was a very 
large rattlesnake in the Indian camp, which had taken 
possession of it, having driven the men, women and 
children out, and he heard them saying that they 
would send for Puc-Puggy (for that was the name 
which they had given me, signifying " the Flower 
Hunter ") to kill him or take him out of their camp. 
I answered that I desired to have nothing to do with 
him, fearing some disagreeable consequences. My 
old friend turned about to carry my answer to the 
Indians. I presently heard them approaching and 
calling for Puc-Puggy. Starting up to escape from their 
sight by a back door, a party consisting of three young 



i84 



Indians [no. 59 



fellows, richly dressed and ornamented, stepped in, 
and requested me to accompany them to their en- 
campment. I desired them to excuse me at this 
time ; they pleaded and entreated me to go with 
them, in order to free them from a great rattlesnake 
which had entered their camp. They said that none 
of them had freedom or courage to expel him ; and 
they understood that it was my pleasure to collect all 
their animals and other natural productions of their 
land. Therefore they desired that I would come with 
them and take him away ; I was welcome to him, 
they added. I at length consented and attended 
them to their encampment, where I beheld the 
Indians greatly disturbed. 

The men with sticks and tomahawks, and the 
women and children were collected together at a 
distance in fright and trepidation, while the dreaded 
and revered serpent leisurely traversed their camp, 
visiting the fireplaces from one to another, picking 
up fragments of their provisions and licking their 
platters. The men gathered around me, exciting me 
to remove him ; being armed with a lightwood knot, 
I approached the reptile, who instantly collected him- 
self in a vast coil (their attitude of defence). I cast 
my missile weapon at him, which, luckily taking his 
head, despatched him instantly, and laid him trem- 
bling at my feet. I took out my knife, severed his 
head from his body. Then I turned about, and the 
Indians complimented me with every demonstration 
of satisfaction and approbation for my heroism and 
friendship for them. I carried off the head of the 
serpent bleeding in my hand as a trophy of victory, 
took out the mortal fangs, and deposited them care- 
fully amongst my collections. 



No. 59] Puc-Piiggy 185 

I had not been long retired to my apartment, be- 
fore I was again roused from it by a tumult in the 
yard. Puc-Puggy was called on, so I started up, when 
instantly the old interpreter met me again, and told 
me the Indians were approaching in order to scratch 
me. I asked him for what .-* He answered, for kill- 
ing the rattlesnake within their camp. Before I could 
make any reply or effect my escape, three young fel- 
lows singing, arm in arm, came up to me. I observed 
one of the three was a young prince who had, on my 
first interview with him, declared himself my friend 
and protector, and told me that if ever occasion should 
offer in his presence, he would risk his life to defend 
mine or my property. This young champion stood 
by his two associates, one on each side of him. They 
affected a countenance and air of displeasure and im- 
portance, instantly presented their scratching instru- 
ments, and flourishing them, spoke boldly, and said that 
I was too heroic and violent, that it would be good for 
me to lose some of my blood to make me more mild 
and tame ; for that purpose they were come to scratch 
me. They gave me no time to expostulate or reply, 
but attempted to lay hold on me. I resisted ; and 
my friend, the young prince, interposed and pushed 
them off, saying that I was a brave warrior and his 
friend and they should not insult me, whereupon 
instantly they altered their countenance and behavior. 
They all whooped in chorus, took me by the hand, 
clapped me on the shoulder, and laid their hands on 
their breasts in token of sincere friendship, and laugh- 
ing aloud, said I was a sincere friend to the Seminoles, 
a worthy and brave warrior, and that no one should 
hereafter attempt to injure me. Then all three joined 
arm in arm again and went off shouting and pro- 



I 8 6 Indians [no. 59 

claiming Puc-Puggy was their friend. Tlius it seemed 
that the whole was a ludicrous farce to satisfy their 
people and appease the manes of the dead rattlesnake. 
These people never kill the rattlesnake or any other 
serpent, because if they do so, as they believe, the 
spirit of the killed snake will excite or influence his 
living kindred or relatives to revenge the injury or 
violence done to him when alive. 

In my youth, attending my father on a journey to 
the Catskill Mountains, in New York, I had gained 
the summit of a steep rocky precipice, ahead of our 
guide, and was just entering a shady vale, when I saw 
at the root of a small shrub, a singular and beautiful 
appearance, which I remember to be a large kind of 
fungus called Jews' ears. I was just drawing back 
my foot to kick it over, when at the instant, my father 
being near, cried out, " A rattlesnake, my son ! " and 
jerked me back, which probably saved my life. I 
had never before seen one. This was of the kind 
which our guide called a yellow one ; it was very 
beautiful, speckled and clouded. My father pleaded 
for his hfe, but our guide was inexorable, saying he 
never spared the life of a rattlesnake, and killed him ; 
my father took his skin and fangs. 

Some years after this, when again in company with 
my father on a journey into East Florida, I attended 
him on a botanical excursion. Some time after we 
had been rambling in a swamp about a quarter of a 
mile from the camp, I was ahead a few paces, and 
my father bade me observe the rattlesnake before my 
feet. I stopped and saw the monster formed in a 
high spiral coil, not half his length from my feet : 
another step forward would have \)\\t my life in his 
power, as I must have touched if not stumbled over 



No. 60] Escape from Indians 187 

him. I instantly cut off a little sapling and soon 
despatched him : this serpent was about six feet in 
length, and as think as an ordinary man's leg. I cut 
off a long tough withe or vine, fastened it round the 
neck of the slain serpent, and dragged him after me, 
his scaly body sounding over the ground, entered the 
camp with him in triumph, and was soon surrounded 
by the amazed multitude, both Indians and my coun- 
trymen. The adventure soon reached the ears of 
the commander, who sent an officer to request that, 
if the snake had not bit himself, he might have him 
served up for his dinner. I readily delivered up the 
body of the snake to the cooks, and being that day 
invited to dine at the governor's table, saw the snake 
served up in several dishes ; Governor Grant was 
fond of the flesh of the rattlesnake. I tasted of it 
but could not swallow it. This dreaded animal is 
easily killed ; a stick no thicker than a man's thumb 
is sufficient to kill the largest at one stroke, if well 
directed, either on the head or across the back. They 
cannot make their escape by running off, nor indeed 
do they attempt it when attacked. 



60. Hewit's Escape from the 
Indians 

By Henry Howe (1792) 

Sometime in the month of May, 1792, while living 
at Neil's station, on the little Kenawha, Mr. Hewit 
rose early in the morning, and went out about a mile 
from the garrison m search of a stray horse, little 



i88 



Indians 



[No. 60 



expecting any Indians to be near, for he had heard 
of none in that vicinity for some time. He was 
sauntering along at his ease, in an obscure cattle 
path, thinking more of his stray animal than of 
danger, when all at once three Indians sprang from 
behind two large trees, that stood one on each side 
of the track, where they had been watching his 




INDIAN PLAYING CARDS. 



approach. So sudden was the onset, and so com- 
pletely was he in their grasp, that resistance was 
vain, and would probably have been the cause of 
his death. He therefore quietly surrendered, think- 
ing that in a few days he should find some way of 
escape. For himself, he felt but little uneasiness ; 
his great concern was for his wife and child, from 
whom, with the yearnings of a father's heart, he 



No. 60] Escape from hidians 189 

was thus forcibly separated, and whom he might 
never see again. 

In their progress to the towns on the Sandusky 
plains, the Indians treated their prisoner, Hewit, 
with as little harshness as could be expected. He 
was always confined at night by fastening his wrists 
and ankles to saplings, as he lay extended upon his 
back upon the ground, with an Indian on each side. 
By day his limbs were free, but he always marched 
with one Indian before, and two behind him. As 
they approached the prairies, frequent halts were 
made to search for honey, for the wild bee could 
be found in astonishing numbers in every hollow 
tree, and often in the ground beneath decayed roots. 
This afforded them many luscious repasts, of which 
the prisoner was allowed to partake. The coming 
of the European honey bee to the forests of North 
America, since its colonization by the whites, is, in 
fact, the only real addition to its comforts that the 
red man has ever received from the destroyer of 
his race ; and this industrious insect, so fond of 
the society of man, seems also destined to destruc- 
tion by the bee moth, and like the buffalo and the 
deer, will soon vanish from the woods and the 
prairies of the West. 

While the Indians were occupied in these searches, 
Hewit closely watched an opportunity for escape, but 
his captors were equally vigilant. As they receded 
from the danger of pursuit, they were less hurried in 
their march, and often stopped to hunt and amuse 
themselves. The level prairie afforded fine ground 
for one of their favorite sports, the foot race. In this, 
Hewit was invited to join, and soon found that he 
could easily outrun two of them, but the other was 



190 



Indians [no. 60 



more than his match, which discouraged him from 
trying to escape, until a more favorable opportunity. 
They treated him familiarly, and were much pleased 
with his lively, cheerful manners. After they had 
come within one or two day's march of their village, 
they made a halt to hunt, and although they had 
usually taken him with them, they left their prisoner 
at their camp, as he complained of being sick. To 
make all safe, they placed him on his back, and fast- 
ened his wrists with stout thongs of raw-hide to 
saphngs, and tied his legs to a small tree. After 
they had been gone a short time, he began to put 
in operation the plan he had been meditating for 
escape, trusting that the thickness of his wrists, in 
comparison with the smallness of his hands, would 
enable him to withdraw them from the ligatures. 
After long and violent exertions, he succeeded in 
liberating his hands, but not without severely lacer- 
ating the skin and covering them with blood. His 
legs were next freed by untying them, but not with- 
out a great effort. 

Once fairly at liberty, the first object was to secure 
some food for the long journey which was before 
him. As the Indian's larder is seldom well stocked, 
with all his search he could only find two small pieces 
of jerked venison, not more than sufficient for a single 
meal. With this light stock of provision, his body 
nearly unclothed, and without even a knife or a toma- 
hawk, to assist in procuring more food, he started for 
the settlements on the Muskingum, as the nearest 
point where he could meet with friends. It seems 
that the Indians returned to the camp soon after his 
escape, for that night, while cautiously traversing a 
wood, he heard the crackling of a breaking twig not 



No. 60] Escape from Indians 191 

far from him. Dropping silently on to the ground 
where he stood, he beheld his three enemies in pur- 
suit. To say that he was not agitated, would not be 
true ; his senses were wide awake, and his heart beat 
quick, but it was a heart that never knew fear. It so 
ha})pened that they passed a few yards to one side of 
him, and he remained unseen. As soon as they were 
at a sufficient distance, he altered his course, and saw 
no more of them. 

Suffering everything but death from the exhaust- 
ing effects of hunger and fatigue, after nine days he 
struck the waters of the Big Muskingum, and came 
into the garrison at Wolf Creek Mills. During this 
time he had no food but roots and the bark of the 
slippery-elm after the two bits of venison were ex- 
pended. When he came in sight of the station, he 
was so completely exhausted that he could not stand 
or halloo. Torn, bloody and disfigured, by the briers 
and brush, he thought it imprudent to show himself, 
lest he should be taken for an Indian, and shot by 
the sentries. In this forlorn state Hewit remained 
until evening, when he crawled silently to the gate- 
way, which was open, and crept in before any one 
was aware of his being near. As they all had heard 
of his capture, and some personally knew him, he 
was instantly recognized by a young man, as the 
light of the fire fell on his face, who exclaimed, 
" Here is Hewit." They soon clothed and fed him, 
and his fine constitution directly restored his health. 



192 Indians [No. 61 

61. The Indian and the Tide 

By Isaac Weld (1796) 

The young Wyandot, whom I before mentioned, 
as having made such a wonderful day's journey on 
foot, happened to be at Philadelphia when I was 
there. He appeared highly delighted with the 
river, and the great number of ships of all sizes upon 
it ; but the tide attracted his attention more than any 
thing else whatsoever. On coming to the river the 
first day he looked up at the sun, and made certain 
observations upon the course of the stream, and gen- 
eral situation of the place, as the Indians never fail 
to do on coming to any new or remarkable spot. 
The second time, however, he went down to the 
water, he found to his surprise that the river was 
running with equal rapidity in a contrary direction to 
what he had seen it run the day before. For a mo- 
ment he imagined that by some mistake he must have 
got to the opposite side of it ; but he soon recol- 
lected himself, and being persuaded that he stood on 
the very same spot from whence he had viewed it the 
day before, his astonishment became great indeed. 

To obtain information upon such an interesting 
point, he immediately sought out an aid-de-camp of 
General Wayne, who had brought him to town. This 
gentleman, however, only rendered the appearance 
still more mysterious to him, by telling him, that 
the great spirit, for the convenience of the white men, 
who were his particular favourites, had made the 
rivers in their country to run two ways. The poor 
Wyandot was satisfied with the answer, and replied, 
" Ah, my friend, if the great spirit would make the 



No. 62] Tecumse/is Speech 193 

Ohio to run two ways for us, we should very often 
pay you a visit at Pittsburgh." During his stay at 
Philadelphia he never failed to visit the river every 
day. 



62. Speech of Tecumseh 

By Tecumseh (1813) 

Father, 
Listen to 
your chil- 
dren ! — You 
have them 
now all be- 
fore you. In 
the war be- 
fore this, our 
British father 
gave the 
hatchet to his 
red children, 
when our old 
chiefs were 
alive. They 
are now dead. 
In that war, 
our father 
was thrown 
on his back 
by the Ameri- 
cans, and our 

father took them by the hand without our knowledge ; 

and we are afraid that our father will do so again at 




an indian chief, 
(red jacket.) 



194 



Indians [n'q- 62 



this time. Summer before last, when I came forward 
with my red brethren, and was ready to take up the 
hatchet in favour of our British father, we were told 
not to be in a hurry — that he had not yet determined 
to fight the Americans. 

Listen ! — When war was declared, our father 
stood up and gave us the tomahawk, and told us that 
he was now ready to strike the Americans : that he 
wanted our assistance; and that he would certainly 
get us our lands back which the Americans had taken 
from us. 

Listen ! — You told us that time, to bring forward 
our families to this place ; and we did so, and you 
promised to take care of them, and that they should 
want for nothing, while the men would go and fight 
the enemy ; that we need not trouble ourselves about 
the enemy's garrisons ; that we knew nothing about 
them ; and that our father would attend to that part 
of the business. You also told your red children that 
you would take good care of their garrison here, which 
made their hearts glad. 

Listen ! — When we went last to the Rapids, it is 
true we gave you assistance. It is hard to fight 
people who live like ground hogs. 

Listen Father! — Our fleet has gone out — we 
know they have fought — we have heard the great 
guns, but know nothing of what has happened to our 
father with one arm. Our troops have gone one way, 
and we are very much astonished to see our father 
tying up every thing and preparing to run away the 
other, without letting his red children know what his 
intentions are. You always told us to remain here, 
and take care of our lands ; it made our hearts glad 
to hear that was your wish. Our great father, the 



No. 62] Tecumse/i s Speech 195 

king, is the head, and you represent him. You 
always told us, that you would never draw your foot 
off British ground ; but now, father, we see you are 
drawing back, and we are sorry to see our father do- 
ing so, without seeing the enemy. We must compare 
our father's conduct to a fat animal, that carries its 
tail upon its back, but when affrighted, it drops it 
between its legs, and runs off. 

Listen Father ! — The Americans have not yet 
defeated us by land ; neither are we sure that they 
have done so by water : we therefore wish to remain 
here, and fight our enemy, should they make their 
appearance. If they defeat us, we will then retreat 
with our father. 

At the battle of the Rapids, in the last war, the 
Americans certainly defeated us ; and when we re- 
treated to our father's fort, at that place, the gates 
were shut against us. We were afraid that it would 
now be the case, but instead of that, we see our Brit- 
ish father preparing to march out of his garrison. 

Father ! — You have got the arms and ammunition 
which the great father sent for his red children. If 
you have any idea of going away, give them to us 
and you may go and welcome for us. Our lives are 
in the hands of the Great Spirit — we are determined 
to defend our lands, and if it is his will, we wish to 
leave our bones upon them. 



196 htdians [no. 63 

63. How Indians Write 

Bv John Heckewelder (i8i8) 

The Indians do not possess our art of writing ; they 
have no alphabets, nor any mode of representing to 
the eye the sounds of words spoken, yet they have 
certain hieroglyphics, by which they describe facts 
in so plain a manner, that those who are familiar 
with those marks can understand them with the great- 
est ease, as easily, indeed, as we can understand a 
piece of writing. For instance, on a piece of bark, 
or on a large tree with the bark taken off for the 
purpose, by the side of a path, they can and do give 
every necessary information to those who come by 
the same way ; they will in that manner let them 
know, that they were a war party of so many men, 
from such a place, of such a nation and such a tribe ; 
how many of each tribe were in the party ; to which 
tribe the chief or captain belonged ; in what direction 
they proceeded to meet the enemy ; how many days 
they were out and how many returning ; what num- 
ber of the enemy they had killed, how many prisoners 
they had brought ; how many scalps they had taken ; 
whether they had lost any of their party, and how 
many; what enemies they had met with, and how 
many they consisted of ; of what nation or tribe their 
captain was ; all which, at a single glance, is perfectly 
well understood by them. In the same manner they 
describe a chase : all Indian nations can do this, 
although they have not all the same marks ; yet I 
have seen the Delawares read with ease the drawings 
of the Chippeways, Mingoes, Shawanos, and Wyan- 
dots, on similar subjects. 



No. 63] Writings 197 

While Indians are travelling to the place of their 
destination, whether it be on a journey to their distant 
hunting grounds or on a war excursion, some of the 
young men are sent out to hunt by the way, who, 
when they have killed a deer, bear, or other animal, 
bring it to the path, ready to be taken away by those 
who are coming along (often with horses) to the 
place of encampment, when they all meet at night. 
Having hung up the meat by the side of the path, 
these young men make a kind of sun-dial, in order 
to inform those who are coming of the time of day 
it was at the time of their arrival and departure. A 
clear place in the path is sought for, and if not 
readily found, one is made by the side of it, and a 
circle or ring being drawn on the sand or earth, a 
stick of about two or three feet in length is fixed in 
the centre, with its upper end bent towards that spot 
in the horizon where the sun stood at the time of 
their arrival or departure. If both are to be noted 
down, two separate sticks are set ; but generally one 
is sufficient, namely, for the time of departure. 

Hunters have particular marks, which they make 
on the trees, where they strike off from the path to 
their hunting grounds or place of encampment, which 
is often at the distance of many miles ; yet the women, 
who come from their towns to fetch meat from these 
camps, will as readily find them as if they were con- 
ducted to the spot. 

I shall conclude this chapter with an anecdote, 
which will at once show how expressive and energetic 
is this hieroglyphic writing of the Indians. A white 
man in the Indian country, saw a Shawanos riding 
a horse which he recognised for his own, and claimed 
it from him as his property. The Indian calmly 



198 



Indians [No. 64 



answered, " Friend ! after a little while, I will call 
on you at your house, when we shall talk of this 
matter." A few days afterwards, the Indian came 
to the white man's house, who insisting on having 
his horse restored, the other then told him : " Friend ! 
the horse which you claim belonged to my uncle who 
lately died ; according to the Indian custom, I have 
become heir to all his property." The white man 
not being satisfied, and renewing his demand, the 
Indian immediately took a coal from the fire-place, 
and made two striking figures on the door of the 
house, the one representing the white man taking 
the horse, and the other, himself, in the act of scalp- 
ing him ; then he coolly asked the trembling claimant 
" whether he could read this Indian writing } " The 
matter thus was settled at once, and the Indian rode 
off. 



64. How the Indians talk to the 
Animals 

By John Heckewelder (i8i8) 

I FOUND that the Indians paid great respect to the 
rattle-snake, whom they called their grandfather, and 
would on no account destroy him. One day, as I 
was walking with an elderly Indian on the banks of 
the Muskingum, I saw a large rattle-snake lying 
across the path, which I was going to kill. The 
Indian immediately forbade my doing so ; " for," 
said he, "the rattle-snake is grandfather to the 
Indians, and is placed here on purpose to guard us, 
and to give us notice of impending danger by his 



No. 64] Talk to Animals 199 

rattle, which is the same as if he were to tell us, 
'look about!' Now," added he, "if he were to kill 
one of those, the others would soon know it, and the 
whole race would rise upon us and bite us." I ob- 
served to him that the white people were not afraid 
of this ; for they killed all the rattle-snakes that they 
met with. On this he enquired whether any white 
man had been bitten by these animals, and of course, 
I answered in the affirmative. " No wonder, then ! " 
replied he, " you have to blame yourselves for that ! 
you did as much as declaring war against them, and 
you will find them in your country, where they will 
not fail to make frequent incursions. They are a 
very dangerous enemy ; take care you do not irritate 
them in our country ; they and their grandchildren 
are on good terms, and neither will hurt the other." 

These ancient notions have, however, in a great 
measure died away with the last generation, and the 
Indians at present kill their grandfather the rattle- 
snake without ceremony, whenever they meet with 
him. 

That the Indians, from the earUest times, consid- 
ered themselves in a manner connected with certain 
animals, is evident from various customs still pre- 
served among them, and from the names of those 
animals which they have collectively, as well as in- 
dividually, assumed. It might, indeed, be supposed 
that those animals' names which they have given 
to their several tribes were mere badges of distinction, 
but if we pay attention to the reasons which they 
give for those denominations, the idea of a supposed 
family connexion is easily discernible. The Tortoise, 
or as it is commonly called, the Turtle tribe, among 
the Lenapes, claims a superiority and ascendency over 



2 00 Indians [no. 64 

the others, because their relation, the great Tortoise, 
a fabled monster, the Atlas of their mythology, bears 
according to their traditions this great island on his 
back, and also because he is amphibious, and can live 
both on land and in the water, which neither of the 
heads of the other tribes can do. The merits of the 
Turkey, which gives its name to the second tribe, 
are that he is stationary, and always remains with 
or about them. As to the Wolf, after whom the 
third tribe is named, he is a rambler, by nature, run- 
ning from one place to another in quest of his prey ; 
yet they consider him as their benefactor, as it was 
by his means that the Indians got out of the interior 
of the earth. It was he, they believe, who by the 
appointment of the Great Spirit, killed the deer whom 
the Monsey found, who first discovered the way to 
the surface of the earth, and which allured them 
to come out of their damp and dark residence. For 
that reason, the wolf is to be honoured, and his name 
preserved forever among them. Such are their 
traditions, as they were related to me by an old man 
of this tribe more than fifty years ago. 

These animals' names, it is true, they all use as 
national badges, in order to distinguish their tribes 
from each other at home and abroad. The Turtle 
warrior draws either with a coal or paint here and 
there on the trees along the war path, the whole 
animal carrying a gun with the muzzle projecting 
forward, and if he leaves a mark at the place where 
he has made a stroke on his enemy, it will be the 
picture of a tortoise. Those of the Turkey tribe 
paint only one foot of a turkey, and the Wolf tribe, 
sometimes a wolf at large with one leg and foot 
raised up to serve as a hand, in which the animal 



No- 64] Talk to Ani^nals 201 

also carries a gun with the muzzle forward. They, 
however, do not generally use the word " wolf," when 
speaking of their tribe, but call themselves Pauk-sit 
which means round-foot, that animal having a round 
foot like a dog. 

The Indians, in their hours of leisure, paint their 
different marks or badges on the doors of their 
respective houses, that those who pass by may know 
to which tribe the inhabitants belong. Those marks 
also serve them for signatures to treaties and other 
documents. They are as proud of their origin from 
the tortoise, the turkey, and the wolf, as the nobles 
of Europe are of their descent from the feudal barons 
of ancient times, and when children spring from 
intermarriages between different tribes, their geneal- 
ogy is carefully preserved by tradition in the family, 
that they may know to which tribe they belong. 

I have often reflected on the curious connection 
which appears to exist in the mind of an Indian 
between man and the brute creation, and found 
much matter in it for curious observation. Although 
they consider themselves superior to all other animals 
and are very proud of that superiority ; although 
they believe that the beasts of the forest, the birds 
of the air, and the fishes of the waters, were created 
by the Almighty Being for the use of man ; yet it 
seems as if they ascribe the difference between them- 
selves and the brute kind, and the dominion which 
they have over them, more to their superior bodily 
strength and dexterity than to their immortal souls. 

I have already observed that the Indian includes 
all savage beasts within the number of his enemies. 
This is by no means a metaphorical or figurative 
expression, but is used in a literal sense, as will 



20 2 Indians [no. 64 

appear from what I am going to relate. A Delaware 
hunter once shot a huge bear and broke its back- 
bone. The animal fell and set up a most plaintive 
cry, somethino- like that of the panther when he is 
hungry. The hunter, instead of giving him another 
shot, stood up close to him, and addressed him in 
these words : " Hark ye ! bear ; you are a coward, 
and no warrior as you pretend to be. Were you a 
warrior, you would show it by your firmness and not 
cry and whimper like an old woman. You know, 
bear, that our tribes are at war with each other, and 
that yours was the aggressor. You have found the 
Indians too powerful for you, and you have gone 
sneaking about in the woods, stealing their hogs ; 
perhaps at this time you have hog's flesh in your 
inside. Had you conquered me, I would have borne 
it with courage and died like a brave warrior ; but 
you, bear, sit here and cry, and disgrace your tribe 
by your cowardly conduct." I was present at the 
delivery of this curious invective ; when the hunter 
had despatched the bear, I asked him how he thought 
that poor animal could understand what he said to it .-* 
" Oh ! " said he, in answer, " the bear understood me 
very well ; did you not observe how ashamed he 
looked while I was upbraiding him } " 

Another time I witnessed a similar scene between 
the falls of the Ohio and the river Wabash. A 
young white man, named William Wells, who had 
been when a boy taken prisoner by a tribe of the 
Wabash Indians, by whom he was brought up, and 
had imbibed all their notions, had so wounded a large 
bear that he could not move from the spot, and the 
animal cried piteously like the one I have just men- 
tioned. The young man went up to him, and with 



No. 65] The White Man 203 

seemingly great earnestness, addressed him in thie 
Wabash language, now and then giving him a slight 
stroke on the nose with his ram-rod. I asked him, 
when he had done, what he had been saying to this 
bear .'' " I have," said he, "upbraided him for acting 
the part of a coward ; I told him that he knew the 
fortune of war, that one or the other of us must 
have fallen ; that it was his fate to be conquered, and 
he ought to die like a man, like a hero, and not like 
an old woman ; that if the case had been reversed, 
and I had fallen into the power of my enemy, I 
would not have disgraced my nation as he did, but 
would have died with firmness and courage, as be- 
comes a true warrior." 



65. An Indian Opinion of the 
White Man 

By John Heckewelder (i8i8) 

They sometimes amuse themselves by passing in 
review those customs of the white people which ap- 
pear to them most striking. They observe, amongst 
other things, that when the whites meet together, 
many of them, and sometimes all, speak at the same 
time, and they wonder how they can thus hear and 
understand each other. "Among us," they say, 
" only one person speaks at a time, and the others 
listen to him until he has done, after which, and not 
before, another begins to speak." They say also that 
the whites speak too much, and that much talk dis- 
graces a man and is fit only for women. On this 



204 



India?2S [No. 65 



subject they shrewdly observe, that it is well for the 
whites that they have the art of writing, and can 
write down their words and speeches ; for had they, 
like themselves, to transmit them to posterity by 
means of strings and belts of wampum, they would 
want for their own use all the wampum that could be 
made, and none would be left for the Indians. 

They wonder that the white people are striving so 
much to get rich, and to heap up treasures in this 
world which they cannot carry with them to the next. 
They ascribe this to pride and to the desire of being 
called rich and great. They say that there is enough 
in this world to live upon, without laying anything 
by, and as to the next world, it contains plenty of 
everything, and they will find all their wants satisfied 
when they arrive there. They, therefore, do not lay 
up any stores, but merely take with them when they 
die as much as is necessary for their journey to the 
world of spirits. 

The Indians also observe, that the white people 
must have a great many thieves among them, since 
they put locks to their doors, which shows great ap- 
prehension that their property otherwise would not 
be safe : " As to us," say they, " we entertain no such 
fears ; thieves are very rare among us, and we have 
no instance of any person breaking into a house. 
Our Indian lock is, when we go out, to set the corn 
pounder or billet of wood against the door, so that it 
may be seen that nobody is within, and there is no 
danger that any Indian would presume to enter a 
house thus secured." Let me be permitted to illus- 
trate this by an anecdote. 

In the year 1771, while I was residing on the Big 
Beaver, I passed by the door of an Indian, who was 



No. 65] T/ie White Ma?t 205 

a trader, and had consequently a quantity of goods in 
his house. He was going with his wife to Pittsburg, 
and they were shutting up the house, as no person 
remained in it during their absence. This shutting 
up was nothing else than putting a large hominy 
pounding-block, with a few sticks of wood outside 
against the door, so as to keep it closed. As I was 
looking at this man with attention while he was so 
employed, he addressed me in these words : " See, my 
friend, this is an Indian lock that I am putting to my 
door." I answered, " Well enough ; but I see you 
leave much property in the house, are you not afraid 
that those articles will be stolen while you are gone .' " 
— " Stolen ! by whom } " — "Why, by Indians, to be 
sure." — "No, no," replied he, "no Indian would do 
such a thing, and unless a white man or white people 
should happen to come this way, I shall find all safe 
on my return." 

The Indians say, that when the white people en- 
camp in the woods they are sure to lose something ; 
that when they are gone, something or another is 
always found which they have lost, such as a knife, 
flints, bullets, and sometimes even money. They 
also observe that the whites are not so attentive as 
they are to choosing an open dry spot for their 
encampment ; that they will at once set themselves 
down in any dirty and wet place, provided they are 
under large trees ; that they never look about to see 
which way the wind blows, so as to be able to lay the 
wood for their fires in such a position that the smoke 
may not blow on them ; neither do they look up the 
trees to see whether there are not dead limbs that may 
fall on them while they are asleep ; that any wood will 
do for them to lay on their fires, whether it be dry or 



2o6 Indians [no. 65 

wet, and half rotten, so that they are involved during 
the whole night in a cloud of smoke ; or they take 
such wood as young green oak, walnut, cherry, chest- 
nut, etc., which throws sparks out to a great distance, 
so that their blankets and clothes get holes burned in 
them, and sometimes their whole camp takes fire. 
They also remark that the whites hang their kettles 
and pots over a fire just kindled, and before the great 
body of smoke has passed away. 

They, however, acknowledge that the whites are 
ingenious, that they make axes, guns, knives, hoes, 
shovels, pots and kettles, blankets, shirts, and other 
very convenient articles, to which they have now be- 
come accustomed, and which they can no longer do 
without. " Yet," say they, " our forefathers did with- 
out all these things, and we have never heard, nor 
has any tradition informed us that they were at a loss 
for the want of them ; therefore we must conclude 
that they also were ingenious ; and, indeed, we know 
that they were ; for they made axes of stone to cut 
with, and bows and arrows to kill the game : they 
made knives and arrows' points with sharp flint stones 
and bones, hoes and shovels from the shoulder blade 
of the elk and buffaloe ; they made pots of clay, gar- 
ments of skins, and ornaments with the feathers of 
the turkey, goose and other birds. They were not 
in want of anything, the game was plenty and tame, 
the dart shot from our arrows did not frighten them 
as the report of the gun now does ; we had therefore 
everything that we could reasonably require ; we lived 
happy ! " 



No. 65] A Chief's Precept 207 

66. The Memorable Precept of 
an Indian Chief 

Bv John Trumbull (1841) 

At the age of nine or ten a circumstance occurred 
which deserves to be written on adamant. In the 
wars of New England with the aborigines, the Mo- 
hegan tribe of Indians early became friends of the 
English. Their favorite ground was on the banks of 
the river (now the Thames) between New London 
and Norwich. A small remnant of the Mohegans 
still exists, and they are sacredly protected in the 
possession and enjoyment of their favorite domain on 
the banks of the Thames. The government of this 
tribe had become hereditary in the family of the cele- 
brated chief Uncas. During the time of my father's 
mercantile prosperity, he had employed several In- 
dians of this tribe in hunting animals, whose skins 
were valuable for their fur. 

Among these hunters was one named Zachary, of 
the royal race, an excellent hunter, but as drunken 
and worthless an Indian as ever Uved. When he had 
somewhat passed the age of fifty, several members of 
the royal family who stood between Zachary and the 
throne of his tribe died, and he found himself with 
only one life between him and empire. In this 
moment his better genius resumed its sway, and he 
reflected seriously, " How can such a drunken wretch 
as I am, aspire to be the chief of this honorable race 
— what will my people say — and how will the shades 
of my noble ancestors look down indignant upon such 
a base successor ? Can /succeed to the great Uncas .-' 



2 o 8 Indians [no. m 

I will drink no more ! " He solemnly resolved never 
again to taste any drink but water, and he kept his 
resolution. 

I had heard this story, and did not entirely believe 
it ; for young as I was, I already partook in the pre- 
vailing contempt for Indians. In the beginning of 
May, the annual election of the principal officers of 
the then colony was held at Hartford, the capital : 
my father attended officially, and it was customary 
for the chief of the Mohegans also to attend. Zach- 
ary had succeeded to the rule of his tribe. My 
father's house was situated about midway on the road 
between Mohegan and Hartford, and the old chief 
was in the habit of coming a few days before the 
election, and dining with his brother governor. 

One day the mischievous thought struck me to try 
the sincerity of the old man's temperance. The 
family was seated at dinner, and there was excellent 
home-brewed beer on the table. I addressed the old 
chief — " Zachary, this beer is excellent; will you 
taste it .''" The old man dropped his knife and fork 
— leaned forward with a stern intensity of expression ; 
his black eye sparkling with indignation was fixed on 
me. " John," said he, " you do not know what you 
are doing. You are serving the devil, boy ! Do you 
know that I am an Indian ! I tell you that I am, and 
that if I should taste your beer, I could never stop 
until I got to rum, and become again the drunken, 
contemptible wretch your father remembers me to 
have been. John, while you live, never again tempt 
any man to break a good resolution." 

Socrates never uttered a more valuable precept — 
Demosthenes could not have given it in more solemn 
tones of eloquence. I was thunder-struck. My 



No. 67] A Ball Game 209 

parents were deeply affected ; they looked at each 
other, at me, and at the venerable old Indian, with 
deep feelings of awe and respect. They afterwards 
frequently reminded me of the scene, and charged me 
never to forget it. Zachary lived to pass the age of 
eighty, and sacredly kept his resolution. He lies 
buried in the royal burial-place of his tribe, near the 
beautiful falls of the Yantic, the western branch of 
the Thames, in Norwich, on land now owned by my 
friend, Calvin Goddard, Esq. I visited the grave of 
the old chief lately, and there repeated to myself his 
inestimable lesson. 



67. An Indian Ball Game 

By W. B. Parker (1845) 

Upon entering upon the prairie, we observed in the 
distance a crowd of natives in gay clothing, the brill- 
iant colours blend- 
ing with the ver- 
dure, and making 
at sunset a truly 
picturesque scene. 
Riding up, we wit- 
nessed a scene 
never to be for- 
gotten. It was 
a ball-play. De- 
scribed, as this 

' AN INDIAN GAME. 

sport has been, by 

the able pencil of Catlin, description falls far short of 
reahty. About six hundred men, women and children, 
were assembled, all dressed in holiday costume, and 




2 I o Indians [no. 67 

all as intent upon the game as it is possible to be 
where both pleasure and interest combine. The in- 
terest is one tribe against another, or one county of 
the same tribe, against a neighboring county ; the 
pleasure, that which savages always take in every 
manly and athletic sport. 

In this instance the contestants were all Choctaws, 
practising for their annual game with the Creeks, and 
I was struck with the interest taken by all the lookers 
on, in the proficiency of each of the players. About 
sixty on each side were engaged in this exciting play, 
than which no exercise can be more violent nor 
better calculated to develop muscle and harden the 
frame. Each player provides himself with what are 
called ball-sticks. They are in shape like a large 
spoon, made of a piece of hickory about three feet 
long, shaved thin for about nine inches at the end 
forming the spoon, then bent round until brought into 
shape, the end securely fastened to the handle by 
buckskin thongs, the under side or bottom of the 
spoon covered with a coarse net work of the same 
material. He has one in each hand, and the ball, 
about the size of a large marble, is held between the 
spoons and thrown with an overhand rotary motion, 
separating the spoons, \vhen the top of the circle is 
reached. 

The game is this : two poles are set up, each 
about seventeen feet high and a foot apart at the 
bottom, widening to three feet at top. At the dis- 
tance of two hundred yards, two similar poles are 
set up facing these. To strike the poles, or throw 
the ball between them counts one, and twelve is 
game. An umpire and starter takes the ball, advances 
to a mark equi-distant from each end of the course. 



No. 67] A Ball Game 211 

and throws it vertically into the air ; it is caught, or 
falling upon the ground is eagerly struggled for and 
thrown toward the desired point. We saw some 
throw the ball the whole distance. 

At each brace of poles, judges are stationed, who, 
armed with pistols, keep close watch, and whenever 
a count is made fire their pistols. The ball is then 
taken and started anew. 

Among the players, are the runners, the throwers, 
and those who throw themselves in the way and 
baffle the player who succeeds in getting the ball. 

The runners are the light active men, the throwers 
heavier, and then the fat men, who can neither throw 
nor run, stand ready to seize a thrower or upset a 
runner. 

When a runner gets the ball, he starts at full speed 
towards the poles ; if intercepted, he throws the ball 
to a friend, a thrower, perhaps, he is knocked down, 
then begins the struggle for the ball; a scene of push- 
ing, jostling, and striking with the ball sticks, or per- 
haps a wrestle or two, all attended with hard knocks 
and harder falls. Whilst looking on, one man was 
pitched upon his head and had his collar bone broken ; 
another had part of his scalp knocked off, but it was 
all taken in good humour, and what, among white 
men, would inevitably lead to black eyes and bloody 
noses, here ended with the passage or possession of 
the ball, a good lesson in forbearance and amiability, 
worthy of imitation. 

The combatants are stripped entirely naked except 
a breech cloth and moccasins, and gaudily painted ; 
they fasten at the centre and small of the back, a 
horse's tail, gaily painted and arrayed like a tail that 
has been nicked by a jockey; some wore bouquets of 



2 12 Indians [no. es 

flowers instead of the tail, but these were evidently 
the exquisites of the party, which the rings worn in 
the ears, nose and under lips, and manner of arrang- 
ing the hair — one having it cut to a point and drawn 
down over his right eye, whilst his left eye was painted 
green — clearly proved. The grotesque appearance 
of the players, the excitement, yells and shouts of the 
crowd, old and young, and the gaudy finery displayed, 
all combined to make an indelible impression upon 
our memories. The aged men of the tribe were the 
most noisy and excited. One old fellow, blind of an 
eye and seventy years old, was quite wild with ex- 
citement; shaking his red handkerchief, he continued 
to shout, hoo, ka, li — hoo, ka, h — catch, catch, 
when the ball was thrown, and chi, ca, ma, — good, 
when a count was made, until quite hoarse. Doubt- 
less, like the old war horse at the sound of the bugle, 
he felt all the fire of his youth, as he entered into the 
full spirit of this truly and only Indian sport. 



68. An Indian Fable 

One pleasant evening, as Nan-nee-bo-zho walked 
along the banks of a lake, he saw a flock of ducks, 
saihng and enjoying themselves on the blue waters. 
He called to them : 

" Ho! come with me into my lodge, and I will teach 
you to dance ! " Some of the ducks said among them- 
selves, " It is Nan-nee-bo-zho, let us not go." Others 
were of a contrary opinion, and his words being fair, 
and his voice insinuating, a few turned their faces 
towards the land. All the rest soon followed, and 



No. 68] A Fable 



13 



with many pleasant quackings, trooped after him, and 
entered his lodge. 

When there, he first took an Indian sack, with a 
wide mouth, which he tied by the strings around his 
neck, so that it would hang over his shoulders, having 
the mouth unclosed. Then placing himself in the 
centre of the lodge, he ranged the ducks in a circle 
around him. 

" Now," said he, " you must all shut your eyes tight, 
whoever opens his eyes at all, something dreadful will 
happen to him. I will take my Indian flute and play 
upon it, and you will, at the word I shall give, open 
your eyes, and commence dancing, as you see me do." 

The ducks obeyed, shutting their eyes tight, and 
keeping time to the music by stepping from one foot 
to the other, all impatient for the dancing to begin. 

Presently a sound was heard like a smothered 
" quack," but the ducks did not dare to open their 
eyes. 

Again, and again, the sound of the flute would be 
interrupted, and a gurgling cry of " qu-a-a-ck " be 
heard. There was one little duck, much smaller than 
the rest, who at this juncture, could not resist the 
temptation to open one eye, cautiously. She saw 
Nan-nee-bo-zho, as he played his flute, holding it with 
one hand, stoop a little at intervals and seize the duck 
nearest him, which he throttled and stuffed into the 
bag on his shoulders. So, edging a little out of the 
circle, and getting nearer the door which had been 
left partly open to admit the light, she cried out : 

"Open your eyes — Nan-nee-bo-zho is choking you 
all and putting you into his bag! " 

With that she flew, but the Nan-nee-bo-zho pounced 
upon her. His hand grasped her back, yet, with des- 



2 14 Indians [no. 69 

perate force, she released herself and gained the open 
air. Her companions flew, quacking and screaming 
after her. Some escaped, and some fell victims to 
the sprite. 

The little duck had saved her Hfe, but she had lost 
her beauty. She ever after retained the attitude she 
had been forced into, in her moment of danger — her 
back pressed down in the centre, and her head and 
neck unnaturally stretched forward into the air. 



69. A Great Many Crullers 
needed 

By Mrs. Juliette A. Kinzie (1830) 

At an early hour the next morning I had quite a 
levee of the Ho-tshung-rah matrons. They seated 
themselves in a circle on the floor, and I was sorry to 
observe that the appHcation of a little soap and water 
to their blankets had formed no part of their holiday 
preparations. There being no one to interpret, I 
thought I would begin the conversation in a way in- 
telHgible to themselves, so I brought out of the side- 
board a china dish, filled with the nice brown crullers, 
over which I had grated, according to custom, a goodly 
quantity of white sugar. I handed it to the first of 
the circle. She took the dish from my hand, and de- 
liberately pouring all the cakes into the corner of her 
blanket, returned it to me empty. " She must be a 
most voracious person," thought I, "but I will manage 
better the next time." I refilled the dish, and ap- 
proached the next one, taking care to keep a fast hold 



No. 69] Plenty of Crullers 215 

of it as I offered the contents, of which I supposed 
she would modestly take one. Not so, however. 
She scooped out the whole with her two hands, and, 
like the former, bestowed them in her blanket. My 
sense of politeness revolted at handing them out one 
by one, as we do to children, so I sat down to delib- 
erate what was to be done, for evidently the supply 
would not long answer such an ample demand, and 
there would be more visitors anon. 

While I was thus perplexed those who had received 
the cakes commenced a distribution, and the whole 
number was equitably divided among the company. 
But I observed they did not eat them. They passed 
their fingers over the grated sugar, looked in each 
other's faces, and muttered in low tones — there was 
evidently something they did not understand. Pres- 
ently one more adventurous than the rest wet her 
fingers, and taking up a few grains of the sugar put 
it cautiously to her mouth. 

" Tah-nee-zhoo-rah ! (Sugar!) was her delighted 
exclamation, and they all broke out into a hearty 
laugh ; it is needless to say that the cakes disappeared 
with all the celerity they deemed compatible with 
good-breeding. Never having seen any sugar but the 
brown or yellow maple, they had supposed the white 
substance to be salt, and for that reason had hesitated 
to taste it. 

Their visit was prolonged until Shaw-nee-aw-kee 
made his appearance, and then, having been made 
happy by their various gifts, they all took their de- 
parture. 



PART VI 

AT SEA 



70. " A Gallant Ship that flew 
the Stars and Stripes " 

'Tis of a gallant Yankee ship that flew the stripes and This old 

' describes the 

And the whistling wind from the west-nor'-west blew course of the 

through the pitch-pine spars, ^'"p ^''"'.f"^^. 

With her starboard tacks aboard, my boys, she hung johnVaui 



upon the gale ; . Jones, m 

an autumn night 
Head of Kinsale. 



On an autumn night we raised the light on the old 



It was a clear and cloudless night, and the wind blew 

steady and strong, 
As gayly over the sparkling deep our good ship 

bowled along; 
With the foaming seas beneath her bow the fiery 

waves she spread. 
And bending low her bosom of snow, she buried her 

lee cat-head. 

There was no talk of short'ning sail by him who 

walked the poop. 
And under the press of her pond'ring jib, the boom 

bent like a hoop ! 

217 



2l8 



At Sea 



[No. 70 



And the groaning water-ways told the strain that 

held her stout main-tack, 
But he only laughed as he glanced aloft at a white 

and silvery track. 




JOHN PAUL JONES. 



The mid-tide meets in the channel waves that flow 

from shore to shore, 
And the mist hung heavy upon the land from 

Featherstone to Dunmore 
And that sterling light in Tusker Rock where the 

old bell tolls each hour. 
And the beacon light that shone so bright was 

quench'd on Waterford Tower. 



N0.70] ^^A Galla?it Ship'' 219 

The nightly robes our good ship wore were her three 

topsails set 
Her spanker and her standing jib — the courses being 

fast ; 
" Now, lay aloft ! my heroes bold, lose not a moment 

yet ! " 
And royals and top-gallant sails were quickly on each 

mast. 

What looms upon our starboard bow ? What hangs 
upon the breeze ? 

'Tis time our good ship hauled her wind abreast the 
old Saltee's, 

For by her ponderous press of sail and by her con- 
sorts four 

We saw our morning visitor was a British man-of-war. 

Up spake our noble Captain then, as a shot ahead of 

us past — 
" Haul snug your flowing courses ! lay your topsail 

to the mast ! " 
Those Englishmen gave three loud hurrahs from the 

deck of their covered ark, 
And we answered back by a solid broadside from the 

decks of our patriot bark. 

"Out booms! out booms!" our skipper cried, "out 

booms and give her sheet," 
And the swiftest keel that was ever launched shot 

ahead of the British fleet, 
And amidst a thundering shower of shot, with stun'- 

sails hoisting away, 
Down the North Channel Paul Jones did steer just 

at the break of day. 



220 



At Sea [No. 71 



71. How to Catch Whales 

By Hector St. John Ckeveccelir (1752) 

The vessels most proper for whale fishing, are brigs 
of about one hundred and fifty tons burden ; they al- 
ways man them with thirteen hands, in order that they 
may row two whale boats ; the crews of which must 
necessarily consist of six, four at the oars, one stand- 
ing on the bows with the harpoon, and the other at 
the helm. It is also necessary that there should be 
two of these boats, that if one should be destroyed in 
attacking the whale, the other, which is never engaged 
at the same time, may be ready to save the hands. 
Five of the thirteen are always Indians ; the last of 
the complement remains on board to steer the vessel 
during the action. They have no wages ; each draws 
a certain established share in partnership with the 
proprietor of the vessel ; by which economy they are 
all proportionably concerned in the success of the 
enterprise, and all equally alert and vigilant. None 
of these whale-men ever exceed the age of forty : 
they look on those who are passed that period not to 
be possessed of all that vigour and agility which so 
adventurous a business requires. Indeed if you at- 
tentively consider the immense disproportion between 
the object assailed and the assailants ; if you think 
on the diminutive size, and weakness of their frail 
vehicle ; if you recollect the treachery of the element 
on which this scene is transacted ; the sudden and 
unforeseen accidents of winds, you will readily ac- 
knowledge, that it must require the most consummate 
exertion of all the strength, agility, and judgment. 



No. 71] Whaling 2 2 j 

of which the bodies and the minds of men are capa- 
ble, to undertake these adventurous encounters. 

As soon as they arrive in those latitudes where 
they expect to meet with whales, a man is sent up 
to the mast head; if he sees one, he immediately 
cries out awaite patvana, here is a whale ; they all 
remain still and silent until he repeats paivaiia, a 
whale, when in less than six minutes the two boats 
are launched, filled with every implement necessary 
for the attack. They row toward the whale with 
astonishing velocity ; and as the Indians early became 
their fellow labourers in this new warfare, you can 
easily conceive, how their expressions became familiar 
on board the whale-boats. Formerly it often hap- 
pened that whale vessels were manned with none but 
Indians and the master. 

There are various ways of approaching the whale, 
according to their pecuUar species ; and this previous 
knowledge is of the utmost consequence. When 
these boats are arrived at a reasonable distance, one 
of them rests on its oars and stands off, as a witness 
of the approaching engagement ; near the bows of 
the other the harpooner stands up, and on him princi- 
pally depends the success of the enterprise. He 
wears a jacket closely buttoned, and round his head 
a handkerchief tightly bound : in his hands he holds 
the dreadful weapon, made of the best steel, marked 
sometimes with the name of their town, and some- 
times with that of their vessel. To the shaft of this 
the end of a cord of due strength, coiled up with the 
utmost care in the middle of the boat, is firmly tied ; 
the other end is fastened to the bottom of the boat. 
Thus prepared they row in profound silence, leaving 
the whole conduct of the enterprise to the harpooner 



222 



At Sea [No. 71 



and to the steersman, attentively following their direc- 
tions. When the former judges himself to be near 
enough to the whale, that is, at the distance of about 
fifteen feet, he bids them stop ; launches it forth — ■ 
she is struck: from her first movement they judge of 
her temper, as well as of their future success. 

Sometimes in the immediate impulse of rage, she 
will attack the boat and demolish it with one stroke 
of her tail ; in an instant the frail vehicle disappears 
and the assailants are immersed in the dreadful ele- 
ment. At other times she will dive and disappear 
from human sight ; and every thing must then give 
way to her velocity ; or else all is lost. Sometimes 
she will swim away as if untouched, and draw the 
cord with such swiftness that it will set the edge of 
the boat on fire by the friction. If she rises before 
she has run out the whole length, she is looked upon 
as a sure prey. The blood she has lost in her flight, 
weakens her so much, that if she sinks again, it is 
but for a short time ; the boat follows her course 
with an almost equal speed. She soon re-appears ; 
tired out at last she dies, and floats on the surface. 

At other times it may happen, that she is not danger- 
ously wounded, though she carries the harpoon fast 
in her body ; when she will alternately dive and rise, 
and swim on with unabated vigour. She then soon 
reaches beyond the length of the cord, and carries 
the boat along with amazing velocity : this sudden 
impediment sometimes will retard her speed, at other 
times it only serves to rouse her anger, and to accel- 
erate her progress. The harpooner, with the axe in 
his hands, stands ready. When he observes that the 
bows of the boat are greatly pulled down by the 
diving whale, and that it begins to sink deep and to 



No. 71] 



Whaling 



223 



take much water, he brings the axe ahnost in contact 
with the cord ; he pauses, still flattering himself that 
she will relax ; but the moment grows critical, una- 
voidable danger approaches : sometimes men more 
intent on gain, than on the preservation of their lives, 
will run great risks ; and it is wonderful how far these 
people have carried their daring courage at this awful 
moment ! But it is vain to hope, their lives must be 
saved, the cord is cut, the boat rises again. If after 
thus getting loose, she re-appears, they will attack 
and wound her a second time. She soon dies, and 
when dead she is towed alongside of their vessel, 
where she is fastened. 




A whaler's outfit. 



2 24 ^i Sea [no. 72 

72. A Sea Voyage 

By Abigail Adams (1784) 

On board ship Active, Latitude 44, Longitude 34. 
Tuesday, 6 July, 1784. From the Ocean. 

MY DEAR SISTER, 

I HAVE been sixteen days at sea, and have not at- 
tempted to write a single letter. 'Tis true, I have 
kept a journal whenever I was able ; but that must 
be close locked up, unless I was sure to hand it you 
with safety. 

'Tis said of Cato, the Roman Censor, that one of 
the three things, which he regretted during his life, 
was going once by sea when he might have made 
his journey by land. I fancy the philosopher was 
not proof against that most disheartening, dispiriting 
malady, sea-sickness. Of this I am very sure, that 
no lady would ever wish a second time to try the sea, 
were the objects of her pursuit within the reach of a 
land journey. 

The vessel is very deep loaded with oil and potash. 
The oil leaks, the potash smokes and ferments. All 
adds to the flavor. When you add to all this the 
horrid dirtiness of the ship, the slovenhness of the 
steward, and the unavoidable slopping and spiUing 
occasioned by the tossing of the ship, I am sure you 
will be thankful that the pen is not in the hand of 
Swift or Smollet, and still more so that you are far 
removed from the scene. No sooner was I able to 
move, than I found it necessary to make a bustle 
amongst the waiters, and demand a cleaner abode. 
By this time, Briesler was upon his feet, and, as I 
found I might reign mistress on board without any 



No. 72] A Sea Voyage 225 

offence, I soon exerted my authority with scrapers, 
mops, brushes, infusions of vinegar, &c., and in a few 
hours you would have thought yourself in a different 
ship. Since which, our abode is much more tolerable, 
and the gentlemen all thank me for my care. Our 
captain is an admirable seaman, always attentive to 
his sails and his rigging ; keeps the deck all night ; 
careful of everybody on board ; watchful that they 
run no risk ; kind and humane to his men, who are all 
as still and quiet as any private family ; nothing cross 
or dictatorial in his manners ; a much more agreeable 
man than I expected to find him. He cannot be 
called a polished gentleman ; but he is, so far as I 
have seen, a very clever man. 

I have accustomed myself to writing a little every 
day, when I was able, so that a small motion of the 
ship does not render it more unintelligible than usual ; 
but there is no time, since I have been at sea, when 
the ship is what we call still, that its motion is not 
equal to the moderate rocking of a cradle. As to 
wind and weather, since we came out, they have been 
very fortunate for us in general. We have had three 
calm days, and two days contrary wind, with a storm, 
I called it ; but the sailors say it was only a breeze. 
This was upon the Banks of Newfoundland, the 
wind at east ; through the day we could not sit in 
our chairs, only as some gentleman sat by us with 
his arm fastened into ours, and his feet braced against 
a table or chair, that was lashed down with ropes ; 
bottle, mugs, plates, crashing to pieces, first on one 
side and then on the other ; the sea running moun- 
tain-high, and knocking against the sides of the ves- 
sel as though it would burst them. When I became 
so fatiofued with the incessant motion as not. to be 



2 2 6 At Sea [No. 72 

able to sit any longer, I was assisted into my cabin, 
where I was obliged to hold myself in with all my 
might the remainder of the night. 

Our accommodations on board are not what I could 
wish, or hoped for. Our state-rooms are about half 
as large as cousin Betsey's little chamber, with two 
cabins in each. This place has a small grated win- 
dow, which opens into the companion-way, and by 
this is the only air admitted. 

If the wind and weather continue as favorable as 
they have hitherto been, we expect to make our pas- 
sage in thirty days, which is going a hundred miles a 

day, 

8 July. 

A wet, drizzly day, but we must not complain, for 
we have a fair wind, our sails all square, and go at 
seven knots an hour. I have made a great acquisi- 
tion. I have learnt the names and places of all the 
masts and sails ; and the Captain compliments me by 
telling me that he is sure I know well enough how to 
steer, to take a turn at the helm. I may do pretty 
well in fair weather, but 'tis your masculine spirits 
that are made for storms. I love the tranquil scenes 
of life. 

I went last evening upon deck, at the invitation of 
Mr. Foster, to view that phenomenon of Nature, a 
blazing ocean. A light flame spreads over the ocean, 
in appearance, with thousands of thousands of spar- 
kling gems, resembling our fire-flies in a dark night. 
It has a most beautiful appearance. 

10 July. 

Yesterday was a very pleasant day. Very little 
wind, but a fine sun and a smooth sea. I spent most 
of the day upon deck, reading ; it was not, however. 



No. 72] A Sea Voyage 227 

so warm but a baize gown was very comfortable. 
The ship has gradually become less irksome to me. 
If our cook was but tolerably clean, I could relish 
my food. But he is a great, dirty, lazy negro, with 
no more knowledge of cookery than a savage, nor 
any kind of order in the distribution of his dishes ; 
but on they come, higgledy-piggledy, with a leg of 
pork all bristly ; a quarter of an hour after, a pud- 
ding ; or, perhaps, a pair of roast fowls, first of all, 
and then will follow one by one a piece of beef, and, 
when dinner is nearly completed, a plate of potatoes. 
Such a fellow is a real imposition upon the passen- 
gers. But gentlemen know but little about the mat- 
ter, and, if they can get enough to eat five times a 
day, all goes well. We ladies have not eaten, upon 
our whole passage, more than just enough to satisfy 
nature, or to keep body and soul together. 

17 July, 

Give me joy, my dear sister; we have sounded 
to-day and found bottom, fifty-five fathom. We have 
seen, through the course of the day, twenty different 
sail, and spoke with a small boat upon a smuggUng 
expedition, which assured us we were within the 

Channel. 

18 July. 

This day four weeks we came on board. Are you 
not all calculating to-day that we are near the land .■" 
Happily, you are not wrong in your conjectures. I 
do not despair of seeing it yet before night, though 
our wind is very small and light. The captain has 
just been down to advise us, as the vessel is so quiet, 
to get what things we wish to carry on shore into 
our small trunks. He hopes to land us at Ports- 
mouth, seventy miles distant from London, to-mor- 



2 2 8 At Sea [No. 73 

row or next day ; from thence we are to proceed, in 
post-chaises, to London. The ship may be a week 
in the channel before she will be able to get up. 



73. The Pleasures of Impressment 

By Ebenezer Smith Thomas (1800) 

I SAILED from Charleston, (bound to Liverpool, in 
the month of June,) in an old worn out ship, called 
the Mercury, Captain Waldron. We soon discovered 
that our ship leaked very badly ; so much so, that it 
took fifteen minutes in every hour to keep her free. 
This made very hard duty for the crew, which- was 
not a very strong one ; for seamen were as scarce as 
ships. Fortunately the winds were light and fair — 
nothing remarkable occurred until we arrived on the 
Banks of Newfoundland, when, on the fourth of July, 
the weather was so cold that the only way we could 
make ourselves comfortable was by lying in bed. As 
is not unusual on the banks, the weather was very 
thick — we could not see an hundred yards ahead. 

The next morning, just at dayhght, the mate, 
whose watch it was, rushed into the cabin, exclaim- 
ing, at the top of his voice, "Captain Waldron, there 
is land close on board ! " The Captain was on deck 
in a moment, and I, who was the only passenger, 
was not long after him. To be close on shore, when 
by our reckoning we should be near the middle of the 
Atlantic, was enough to alarm the stoutest heart, and 
every soul appeared on deck in a minute. It was now 
the twilight of dawn, and the only object at all visible, 
was a mountain hanging apparently over us — not of 



No. 73] Impressment 229 

earth, or of rocks, but very much resembling the latter 
— a mountain of ice ; besides which, as the fog cleared 
away, we found ourselves surrounded by floating 
islands of the same material ; so that it was luff, or 
bear away, all day, to keep from running foul of them. 
Fortunately for us, before sunset we had them all 
astern, with a clear course and fair breeze. Had day- 
light been one hour later, we should all inevitably 
have perished, as the immense mass was directly in 
our course, and would have been felt as soon as seen 
in the darkness of the night. Its altitude was up- 
wards of two hundred feet. 

With our regular " pump music" one-fourth of the 
time, night and day, we at length made Cape Clear 
in Ireland ; it was in the afternoon, in the latter part 
of July. About thirty whales passed us within less 
than one hundred feet of our stern. Fifteen or 
twenty minutes later, from the situation they were in, 
they might have done us much mischief. We entered 
the Cape that evening. At the first go off, we lost 
our kedge and hawser, after which we had to let go 
the best bower, and in this way we were eight days 
"tiding it up to Liverpool," from the Cape. On the 
sixth day we took a pilot on board. 

On the forenoon of the seventh, a ship, whose drum The British 
we had heard for three or four nights preceding, made accustomed 
her appearance on our weather beam, at about a mile to enlist by 
distance, and sent her compliments to us in the shape '^'^y^^,^^^^^ 
of an eighteen pound shot that passed through our seamen 
main-top sail. Capt. Waldron immediately ordered ^^i^of" *^^y 

Till 1 • 1 • • -i r ii found, and 

It to be backed, and m that position to await further ^^^^^ ^^^-^ 

intelligence from the stranger. We had not to wait American 

long, for, in less than four minutes, there came another ^'^^gnce' of 

shot that passed about four feet over the head of the aii right. 



230 



At Sea 



[No. 73 



From 1798 
to 1800 there 
was a naval 
war with 
France. 



man at the helm, and through the spanker. Our ship 
was then hove to, and was soon boarded from our 
new acquaintance, by a boat having two officers and 
six men, who reported their ship " the sloop of war 
Reynard, Captain Spicer, on the impress service." 
Our crew consisted of the captain, two mates, eight 
hands, a steward and cook. Two of the hands were 
broken-down discharged English seamen, one of 
whom had not been able to do duty for a month. 

The lieutenant took command of our ship, ordered 
the crew aft, and proceeded to overhaul them. He 
ordered into the boat the steward and cook, both 
slaves belonging to Charleston, a Portuguese sailor, 
and Jonathan Williams, a native of Maine ; and as I 
walked on one side the quarter-deck while they had 
possession of the other, I overheard a part of a consul- 
tation between the two officers, the subject of which 
was, whether they should not press me with the others ; 
and I beheve I was indebted for my escape to my un- 
seamanlike appearance — a long coat and breeches. 
They then left us, without hands to work our ship, 
which the pilot immediately brought to anchor, and 
sent his boat, then in attendance, up to Liverpool, to 
procure hands for that purpose. This was a busy 
day with the Rcyjiard. Head winds having prevailed 
for a fortnight, a large outward bound fleet had col- 
lected, consisting of upwards of one hundred and fifty 
sail, more than one hundred of which were Ameri- 
cans, and all armed, this being just at the close of 
"John Adams' hot water war with France." 

Reynard was too cunning to meddle with these 
Yankees, who had all arranged themselves under the 
command of Ca]:)tain King, of the ship Kingston, of 
Philadelphia, whom they had appointed Commodore. 



No. 74] Loyal Even to Death 231 

They would have been ugly customers for a dozen 
sloops of war. The Kingston had two and twenty 
guns, and the others from six to sixteen each. The 
next morning a boat belonging to the Reynard, that 
has lost sight of her in the night, came along side of 
us, with a midshipman and four hands, and requested 
to be taken to Liverpool. This was agreed to, provided 
they, all hands, went to work and got our ship under 
way. No sooner said than done. The poor fellows 
were glad of the chance, as they had been rowing all 
night to overtake their ship, which had sent them to 
board some " North Countrymen," and left them to 
get on board again as they could. In the afternoon 
we got up to town, and went into Queen's dock, which, 
notwithstanding the fleet that had so recently left, 
was still crowded with American shipping, two hun- 
dred and fifty-six sail of which hoisted the stars and 
stripes on our nation's birth-day, about three weeks 
before. 



74. Loyal Even to Death 

By Thomas Truxtun (1800) 

At half past seven a.m. the road of Basseterre, This is the 
Guadaloupe, bearing east, five leagues distance, I saw °^^'^J,( ^^ 
a sail in the southeast standing to the westward, an act of 
which, from her situation, I at first took for a large gi'ff' 

, , • 1 T- 1- 1 1 gallantry. 

ship from Martinico, and hoisted English colors, on j^mes larv 
gfiving chase, by way of inducement for her to come ^^^^s only 

, 1 , 1-1 111 11 thirteen 

down and speak me, which would have saved a long ^^^^^ q,j_ 
chase to leeward of my intended cruising ground. 
When she did not attempt to alter her course, I ex- 
amined her more attentively as we approached her. 



232 



At Sea [No. 74 



and discovered her to be a heavy French frigate, 
mounting at least fifty-four guns. I immediately 
gave orders for the ship to be cleared, ready for 
action, and hauled down the Enghsh colors. At 
noon the wind became light, and I observed the 
chase, that we had before been gaining fast on, held 
way with us, but I was determined to continue the 
pursuit, though the running to leeward, I was con- 
vinced, would be attended with many serious disad- 
vantages, especially if the object of my wishes was 
not gratified. 

At one o'clock, p.m., on the next day, the wind 
was somewhat fresher than the noon preceding, and 
appeared likely to continue ; our prospect of bringing 
the enemy to action began to brighten, as I perceived 
we were coming up with the chase fast, and every 
inch of canvas was set that could be of service, ex- 
cept the bag reefs, which I kept in the top-sails, in 
case of the enemy, finding an escape from our thun- 
der impracticable, should haul on a wind, and give 
us fair battle ; but this did not prove to be her com- 
mander's intention ; I, however, got within hail of 
him at eight p.m. ; hoisted our ensign, and had the 
candles in the bottle lanterns all lighted, and was in 
the lee gangway, ready to speak him, and to demand 
a surrender of his ship to the United States of 
America, when, at that instant, he commenced a fire 
from his stern and quarter guns, directed at our rig- 
ging and spars. No parley being then necessary, 
I sent my principal aid-de-camp, Mr. Vandyke, to the 
different officers commanding divisions on the main 
battery, to repeat strictly my orders before given, not 
to throw away a single charge of powder and shot, 
but to take good aim, and to fire directly into the 



No. 74] Loyal Even to Death 233 

hull of the enemy, and load principally with two 
round shot, and, now and then, with a round shot 
and a stand of grape ; to encourage the men at their 
quarters, and to cause or suffer no noise or confusion 
whatever, but to load and fire as fast as possible, 
when it could be done with certain effect. 

These orders were given, and in a few moments 
I gained a position on his weather quarter, that en- 
abled us to return, effectually, his salute. Thus as 
close, and as sharp an action as ever was fought 
between two frigates, commenced, and continued 
until within a few minutes of one, a.m., when the 
enemy's fire was completely silenced, and he was 
again sheering off. It was at this moment that I 
considered him as my prize, and was trimming, in the 
best manner I could, my much shattered sails, when 
I found the mainmast was totally unsupported with 
rigging, every shroud was shot away, and some of 
them, in many places, so as to render stoppers use- 
less, which in fact could not be applied with effect. 
I then gave orders for all the men to be sent up from 
the gun deck, to endeavor to secure the mast, in 
order that we might get alongside of the enemy again 
as soon as possible ; but every effort was in vain, for 
it went over the side in a few minutes after, and car- 
ried with it the topmen, among whom was an amiable 
young gentleman, who commanded the main top, 
Mr. James Jarvis, son of James Jarvis, Esq. of New 
York. This young gentleman, it seems, was apprised 
of his danger by an old seaman, but he had already 
so much the principle of an officer engrafted on his 
mind, not to leave his quarters, that he replied, if the 
mast went, they must go with it ; which was the case, 
and only one of them was saved. I regret much his 



2 34 ^^ ^^^ ^^°- 75 

loss, as a promising young officer and amiable young 
man, as well as on account of a long intimacy that 
has subsisted between his father and myself, but have 
great satisfaction in finding that I have lost no other 
men, and only two or three were slightly wounded ; 
out of thirty-nine of the crew killed and wounded, 
fourteen were killed, and twenty-five were wounded. 
As soon as the mainmast went, every effort was 
made to clear the wreck from the ship as soon as 
possible, which was effected in about an hour ; and, 
as her security was then the great object, since it 
was impossible to pursue the enemy, I immediately 
bore away for Jamaica, for repairs. 

I should be wanting in common justice were I to 
omit here to journalize the steady attention to order, 
and the great exertion and bravery shown by all my 
officers, seamen, and marines, in this action, many of 
whom I had sufficiently tried before on a similar 
occasion (the capture of the Insurgent), and all their 
names are recorded in the muster-roll I sent to the 
Secretary of the Navy, dated the 19th of December 
last, signed by myself. 

Thomas Truxtun. 



75. Letters from a Boy at Sea 

By Basil Hall (1802) 

DEAR FATHER, 

After you left us, I went down into the mess- 
room ; it is a place about twenty feet long, with a 
table in the middle of it, and wooden seats upon 
which we sit. When I came down, there were a 



No. 75] A Boy s l^etters 235 

great many cups and saucers upon the table. A man 
came in, and poured hot water into the tea-pot. 
There are about fourteen of us mess at the same time. 
We were very merry in this dark hole, where we had 
only two candles. 

We come down here, and sit when we like ; and 
at other times go upon deck. At about ten o'clock 
we had supper upon bread and cheese, and a kind of 
pudding which we liked very much. Some time 
after this I went to a hammock, which was not my 
own, as mine was not ready, there not being enough 
of clues at it, but I will have it to-night. I got in at 
last. It was very queer to find myself swinging 
about in this uncouth manner, for there was only about 
a foot of space between my face and the roof ; so, of 
course, I broke my head a great many times on the 
different posts in the cock-pit, where all the midship- 
men sleep. After having got in, you may be sure I 
did not sleep very well, when all the people were 
making such a noise going to bed in the dark,, and 
the ship in such confusion. I fell asleep at last, but 
was always disturbed by the quarter-master coming 
down to awake the midshipmen who were to be on 
guard during the night. He comes up to their bed- 
sides and calls them ; so I, not being accustomed to 
it, was always awaked too. I had some sleep, how- 
ever, but, early in the morning, was again roused up 
by the men beginning to work. 

There is a large hole which comes down from 
the decks, all the way through to the hold, where 
they let down the casks. The foot of the ham- 
mock that I slept in was just at the hole, so I saw 
the casks all coming down close by me. I got up 
at half-past seven, and went into the berth (our mess- 



236 



At Sea [No. 75 



room), and we were all waiting for breakfast till 
eight, when the man who serves and brings in the 
dishes for the mess came down in a terrible passion, 
saying, that as he was boiling the kettle at the stove, 
the master-at-arms had thrown water upon the fire 
and put it out. All this was because the powder 
was coming on board. So we had to want our break- 
fast for once. But we had a piece of bread and 
butter ; and as we were eating it, the master-at-arms 
came down, and said that our candles were to be 
taken away : so we had to eat our dry meal in the 
dark. 

I am much better pleased with my situation than 
I suspected I would at my first coming on board. 
We have in our mess four Scotchmen, six English- 
men, and two Irish, so that we make a very pleasant 
company down in the cock-pit. We dine at twelve, 
and breakfast at eight in the morning. At breakfast 
we get tea and sea cake : at dinner we have either 
beef, pork, or pudding. But when we come into 
a harbour or near one, there are always numbers of 
boats come out with all sorts of vegetables and fresh 
meat, which are not left long in the boat, for the 
people all run, and buy up the soft bread and fresh 
provisions. 

We midshipmen are upon watch every night for 
four hours together; we do nothing but walk the 
quarter-deck, if the ship is not sailing. There is 
always half the crew upon deck when the ship is 
sailing, and we and the lieutenants order them to do 
so and so about the ropes and sails. All the men's 
hammocks are brought upon deck, and laid in places 
at the side for the purpose, both to give room for the 
men to work under the decks, and to give them air. 



No. 75] Jl Boy^s Letters 237 

All the decks are washed and well scrubbed every 
morning, which is right, as they are often dirtied. 

We were very near all being destroyed, and 
blown up last night, by an alarming fire on board. 
As I was standing making my hammock, about ten 
o'clock, near two others making theirs, we were 
alarmed by seeing a large burst of sparks come from 
one corner of the cock-pit. Without going to see 
what was the matter, I ran into our berth, or place 
where we mess, and got hold of all the pots of beer 
which the midshipmen were going to drink. I re- 
turned with these, and threw them on the fire, while 
others ran for water. 

When I came back, I saw the purser's steward 
covered with fire, and rubbing it off him as fast as 
he could, with a pile of burning sheets and blankets 
lying at his feet. One of us ran up to the quarter- 
deck, and seizing the fire-buckets that were nearest, 
filled them, and brought them down. We also got 
some of the men out of their hammocks, but took 
good care not to awaken any of the rest, for fear of 
bustle and confusion. 

The sentry, as soon as he discovered the smell, 
went down to the captain and lieutenants, who im- 
mediately came to the cock-pit, and whispered out 
" Silence ! " They then got more buckets of water, 
and quenched the flames, which, as they thought, 
were only in the purser's steward's cabin. But one 
of the men opened the door of the steward's store- 
room, and saw a great deal of fire lying on the floor. 
Water, of course, was applied, and it also was 
quenched ; the store-room was then well flooded. 

The captain ordered the purser's steward to be 
put in irons directly, as well as his boy, who had 



238 



At Sea [No. 76 



stuck the light up in the cabin. The captain next 
went with the master-at-arms into the powder maga- 
zine, which was close to the purser's steward's cabin, 
and found the bulkhead or partition half-burnt through 
by the fire in the cabin ! 

All this mischief was occasioned by sticking a 
naked light upon the beam above the cabin, from 
whence it had fallen down and set fire to the sheets. 
The steward, in trying to smother it with more, had 
set fire to the whole bundle, which he then flung in 
a mass into the store-room. There was a watch kept 
all night near the spot. Nobody has been hurt. 

I am very sorry for the purser's steward, for he 
was a very good-natured and obliging man, and much 
liked by all of us. He gave us plums, when we 
asked them from him. He is broke, I fear. I will 
give you the issue in my next letter. 



76. Naval Ballads 

CONSTITUTION AND GUERRIERE 

(August 19, 1812) 

It oft times has been told, 

That the British seamen bold, 
Could flog the tars of France so neat and handy, oh ! 

But they never found their match, 

Till the Yankees did them catch. 
Oh, the Yankee boys for fighting are the dandy, oh ! 

The Guerriere, a frigate bold. 

On the foaming ocean rolled, 

Commanded by proud Dacres, the grandee, oh ! 



No. 76] Naval Ballads 239 

With as choice a British crew, 
As a rammer ever drew, 
Could flog the Frenchmen two to one so handy, oh ! 



When this frigate hove in view, 
Says proud Dacres to his crew, 

" Come clear ship for action and be handy, oh ! 
To the weather gage, boys, get her," 
And to make his men fight better. 

Gave them to drink gun-powder mixed with brandy, oh ! 

Then Dacres loudly cries, 

" Make this Yankee ship your prize, 
You can in thirty minutes, neat and handy, oh ! 

Twenty-five's enough I'm sure, 

And if you'll do it in a score, 
I'll treat you to a double share of brandy, oh ! " 

The British shot flew hot, 

Which the Yankees answered not, 

Till they got within the distance they called handy, oh ! 
" Now," says Hull unto his crew, 
" Boys, let's see what we can do. 

If we take this boasting Briton we're the dandy, oh ! " 

The first broadside we pour'd 
Carried her mainmast by the board, 
Which made this loftly frigate look abandon'd, oh ! 
Then Dacres shook his head, 
" And to his officers said, 
" Lord, I didn't think those Yankees were so handy, 
oh!" 



No. 76] Naval Ballads 241 

Our second told so well 

That their fore and mizzen fell, 
Which dous:d the Royal ensign neat and handy, oh ! 

" By George ! " says he, " we're done," 

And they fired a lee gun, 
While the Yankees struck up Yankee Doodle Dandy, 
oh! 

Then Dacres came on board. 

To deliver up his sword, 
Tho' loth was he to part with it, it was so handy, oh ! 

"Oh, keep your sword," says Hull, 

" For it only makes you dull, 
Cheer up and take a little drink of brandy, oh ! " 

Now, fill your glasses full. 

And we'll drink to Captain Hull, 

And so merrily we'll push about the brandy, oh ! 
John Bull may toast his fill. 
But let the world say what they will. 

The Yankee boys for fighting are the dandy, oh ! 

PERRVS VICTORY 

(September lo, 1813) 

We sailed to and fro in Erie's broad lake. 
To find British bullies or get into their wake, 
When we hoisted our canvas with true Yankee speed, 
And the brave Captain Perry our squadron did lead. 

We sailed thro' the lake, boys, in search of the foe. 
In the cause of Columbia our brav'ry to show. 
To be equal in combat was all our delight. 
As we wished the proud Britons to know we could 
fisht. 



242 



At Sea [No. 76 



And whether Uke Yeo, boys, they'd taken affright, 
We could see not, nor find them by day or by night ; 
So cruising we went in a glorious cause. 
In defence of our rights, our freedom, and laws. 

At length to our liking six sails hove in view, 
Huzzah ! says brave Perry, huzzah ! says his crew, 
And then for the chase, boys, with our brave little 

crew, 
We fell in with the bullies and gave them " burgoo." 

Though the force was unequal, determined to fight, 
We brought them to action before it was night ; 
We let loose our thunder, our bullets did fly, 
" Now give them your shot, boys," our commander 
did cry. 

We gave them a broadside, our cannon to try, 

" Well done," says brave Perry, "for quarter they'll 

cry, 
Shot well home, my brave boys, they shortly shall see, 
That quite brave as they are, still braver are we." 

Then we drew up our squadron, each man full of fight, 
And put the proud Britons in a terrible plight. 
The brave Perry's movements will prove fully as bold. 
As the fam'd Admiral Nelson's prowess of old. 

The conflict was sharp, boys, each man to his guns, 
For our country, her glory, the vict'ry was won, 
So six sail (the whole fleet) was our fortune to take, 
Here's a health to brave Perry, who governs the Lake. 



account of 
the capture 



No. 77] The Guerriere 243 

77. On Board the Guerriere 

By Captain William Orme (1812J 

I COMMANDED the American brig Betsey, in the This is an 
year 18 12, and was returning home from Naples, Italy, 

to Boston. When near the western edge of the Grand of the 

Bank of Newfoundland, on the loth of August, 1812, G"^*-^^^^ 

,^,,. ., , T,--ir- X-- •< y- • written by an 

I fell m With the British frigate Guerriere, Captain American 
Dacrcs, and was captured by him. Myself and a boy "^^^ 
were taken on board of the frigate ; the remainder of be present ^ 
my officers and men were left in the Betsey, and sent when the 
into Halifax, N.S., as a prize to the Guerriere. ^^"'^ ^^2^"' 

On the 19th of the same month, the wind being 
fresh from the northward, the Giierrihe was under 
double-reefed topsails during all the forenoon of this 
day. At 2 p.m., we discovered a large sail to wind- 
ward, bearing about North from us. We soon made 
her out to be a frigate. She was steering off from 
the wind, with her head to the Southwest, evidently 
with the intention of cutting us off as soon as possible. 

Signals were soon made by the Guerriere, but as 
they were not answered, the conclusion of course 
was, that she was either a French or an American 
frigate. Captain Dacres appeared anxious to ascer- 
tain her character, and after looking at her for that 
purpose, handed me his spy-glass, requesting me to 
give him my opinion of the stranger. I soon saw from 
the peculiarity of her sails, and from her general ap- 
pearance, that she was, without doubt, an American, 
frigate, and communicated the same to Captain Dacres. 
lie immediately replied, that he thought she came 
down too boldly for an American, but. soon after 



244 



At Sea 



[No. 77 



added, " The better he behaves, the more honor we 
shall gain by taking him." 

The two ships were rapidly approaching each other, 
when the Guerrih-e backed her main-topsail, and 
waited for her opponent to come down, and com- 
mence the action. He then set an EngHsh flag at 
each mast-head, beat to quarters, and made ready for 







THE "CONSTITUTION." 



the fight. When the strange frigate came down to 
within two or three miles distance, he hauled upon 
the wind, took in all his light sails, reefed his top- 
sails, and deliberately prepared for action. It was 
now about five o'clock in the afternoon, when he filled 
away and ran down for the Gucrrierc. At this mo- 
ment, Captain Dacres politely said to me : " Captain 
Orme, as I suppose you do not wish to fight against 
your own countrymen, you are at Hberty to go below 



No. 77] The Guerriere 245 

the water-line." It was not long after this before I 
retired from the quarter-deck to the cock-pit. 

Of course I saw no more of the action until the 
firing ceased, but I heard and felt much of its effects ; 
for soon after I left the deck, the firing commenced 
on board the Gncrrihr, and was kept up almost con- 
stantly until about six o'clock, when I heard a tre- 
mendous explosion from the opposing frigate. The 
effect of her shot seemed to make the Giicrricrc reel, 
and tremble as though she had received the shock of 
an earthquake. Immediately after this, I heard a tre- 
mendous crash on deck, and was told the mizzenmast 
was shot away. In a few moments afterward, the 
cock-pit was filled with wounded men. 

At about half-past six o'clock in the evening, after 
the firing had ceased, I went on deck, and there be- 
held a scene which it would be difficult to describe : 
all the Guerriere s masts were shot away, and as she 
had no sails to steady her, she lay rolling like a log in 
the trough of the sea. The decks were covered with 
blood, the gun tackles were not made fast, and several 
of the guns got loose, and were surging to and fro 
from one side to the other. 

Some of the petty officers and seamen, after the 
action, got liquor, and were intoxicated ; and what 
with the groans of the wounded, the noise and confu- 
sion of the enraged survivors on board of the ill-fated 
ship, rendered the whole scene fearful beyond de- 
scription. 



246 



At Sea 



[No. 78 



78. Capture of the Guerriere 



Here we 
have an 
account of 
the same 
naval fight 
by the 
commander 
of the 
American 
vessel. 



By Captain Isaac Hull (1812) 



Sir, 



I have the honour to inform you, that on the 
19th instant, at 2 p.m., with the Constitution under 
my command, a sail was discovered from the mast- 
head, but at such a distance, we could not tell what 
she was. All sail was instantly made in chase, and 
we soon came up with her. At 3 p.m. we could 
plainly see that she was a ship on the starboard 
tack, under easy sail, close on a wind ; at half past 3 
p. M. we made her out to be a frigate ; we continued 
the chase until we were within about three miles, 
when I ordered the light sails taken in, the courses 
hauled up, and the ship cleared for action. At this 
time the chase had backed his main top-sail, waiting 
for us to come down.. 

As soon as the Constitution was ready for action, I 
bore down with an intention to bring him to close 
action immediately ; but on our coming within gun- 
shot she gave us a broadside and filled away, and 
wore, giving us a broadside on the other tack, but 
without effect ; her shot falling short. She contin- 
ued wearing and manoeuvring for about three quar- 
ters of an hour, to get a raking position, but finding 
she could not, she bore up, and run under top-sails 
and jib, with the wind on the quarter. 

Immediately we made sail to bring the ship up 
with her, and five minutes before 6 p.m. we were 
along side within half pistol shot ; then we com- 
menced a heavy fire from all our guns, double shotted 
with round and grape, and so well directed were they. 



No. 78] T/ie Guerriere 247 

and so warmly kept up, that in fifteen minutes his 
mizzen-mast went by the board, and his main-yard 
in the slings, and the hull, rigging and sails were 
very much torn to pieces. The fire was kept up 
with equal warmth for fifteen minutes longer, when 
his main-mast and fore-mast went, taking with them 
every spar, excepting the bowsprit ; on seeing this 
we ceased firing, so that in thirty minutes after we got 
fairly along side the enemy she surrendered, and had 
not a spar standing, and her hull below and above 
water was so shattered, that a few more broadsides 
must have carried her down. 

After informing you that so fine a ship as the 
Gucrvicvc, commanded by an able and experienced 
officer, had been totally dismasted, and otherwise cut 
to pieces, so as to make her not worth towing into 
port, in the short space of thirty minutes, you can 
have no doubt of the gallantry and good conduct of 
the officers and ship's company I have the honour to 
command. It only remains, therefore, for me to 
assure you, that they all fought with great bravery ; 
and it gives me great pleasure to say, that from the 
smallest boy in the ship to the oldest seaman, not a 
look of fear was seen. They all went into action, 
giving three cheers, and requesting to be laid close 
along side the enemy. 

Enclosed I have the honour to send you a list of 
killed and wounded on board the Constitution, and a 
report of the damages she has sustained ; also, a list 
of the killed and wounded on board the enemy, with 
his quarter bill, &c. 

I have the honour to be, with very great respect. Sir, 
Your obedient servant, 

Isaac Hull. 



248 



At Sea [No. 79 



79. The Battle of Lake Erie 

By Captain Taylor (1813) 

On the morning of the loth instant at sunrise, they 
were discovered from Put-in-Bay, where I lay at 
anchor with the squadron under my command. We 
got under way, with the wind light at southwest and 
stood for them. At ten o'clock the wind hauled to 
southeast and brought us to windward ; we formed 
the line and brought up. At fifteen minutes before 
twelve the enemy commenced tiring ; at five minutes 
before twelve the action commenced on our part. 
Their fire was very destructive, owing to their long 
guns, and was mostly directed to the La%vrcnce, so I 
made sail, and directed the other vessels to follow, 
for the purpose of closing with the enemy. Every 
brace and bow line was shot away, and she became 
unmanageable, notwithstanding the great exertions 
of the sailing master. In this situation she sustained 
the action upwards of two hours, within canister shot 
distance, and every gun was rendered useless, and a 
greater part of the crew either killed or wounded. 

Finding she could no longer annoy the enemy, 
I left her in charge of Lieutenant Yarnall, who, I 
was convinced, from the bravery already displayed by 
him, would do what would comport with the honour 
of the flag. At half past two the wind sprang up, 
and Captain Elliot was enabled to bring his vessel, 
the Niagara, gallantly into close action ; I immedi- 
ately went on board her, when he anticipated my wish 
by volunteering to bring the schooners, which had 
been kept astern by the lightness of the wind, into 
close action. It was with unspeakable pain, that I 



No. 80] Star-spa?igled Bamier 249 

saw, soon after I got on board the Niagara^ the flag 
of the Latvrcnce come down, although I was per- 
fectly sensible that she had been defended to the 
last, and that to have continued to make a show of 
resistance would have been a wanton sacrifice of the 
remains of her brave crew. 

But the enemy was not able to take possession of 
her, and circumstances soon permitted her flag again 
to be hoisted. At forty-five minutes past two, the 
signal was made for "close action." The Niagara 
was very little injured, so I determined to pass 
through the enemy's line, bore up and passed ahead 
of their two ships and a brig, and gave a raking fire 
to them from the starboard guns, and to a large 
schooner and sloop, from the larboard side, at half 
pistol shot distance.' The smaller vessels at this 
time were within grape and canister distance, under 
the direction of Captain Elliot. They kept up a well 
directed fire until the two ships, a brig, and a 
schooner, surrendered. One schooner and a sloop 
made a vain attempt to escape. 

Those officers and men who were immediately 
under my observation showed the greatest gallantry, 
and I have no doubt that all others conducted them- 
selves as became American officers and seamen. 



80. The Star-spangled Banner 

Bv Francis Scott Key (1814) 

O SAY, can you see by the dawn's early light, 

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last 
gleaming .-' 



250 



At Sea [No. 80 



Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the 
perilous fight, 
On the ramparts we watched were so gallantly- 
streaming ; 
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air. 
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still 
there. 
O say, does the star-spangled banner yet wave 
O'er the land of the free and the home of the 
brave .-' 

On the shore dimly seen, through the mists of the 
deep. 
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence re- 
poses. 
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering 
steep. 
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses .'' 
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam. 
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream. 
. 'Tis the star-spangled banner ! O long may it wave 
O'er the land of the free and the home of the 
brave ! 

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore 
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion 

A home and a country shall leave us no more .'* 

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' 
pollution. 

No refuge could save the hireling and slave. 

From the terror of death and the gloom of the grave. 
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave 
O'er the land of the free and the home of the 
brave ! 



No. 8i] Licking a Frigate 251 

O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand 

Between their loved homes and the war's desola- 
tion ; 
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heaven-res- 
cued land, 
Praise the power that has made and preserved us 
a nation. 
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just. 
And this be our motto : " In God is our trust." 

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall 

wave 
O'er the land of the free and the home of the 
brave. 



81. How the Privateer licked the 
Frigate 

By Nathaniel Shaler (1813) 

Two days after dispatching the Nereid, I took a This is the 
whaleman from London, bound for the South Seas, story of a 

r 1 T 1 1 privateer, a 

but as she was 01 no value, 1 took out such stores as private 

I could stow, and as I was much lumbered with pris- vessel 

oners and baggage, I put them on board, and ordered si°on^'by the 

her for Falmouth. The chasing of this ship had American 

taken me some distance from my ground, and owing ^°^'^^°l^^ 

to calms, I could not regain it until the 25th of last British 

month, when at sunrise three ships were discovered vessels and 

ahead. We made all sail in chase. The wind was jf^necessary. 
light,, and we came up with them slowly. On a 
nearer approach, they proved to be two ships and a 



252 



At Sea [N0.81 



brig. One of the ships had all the appearance of 
a large transport, and from her manoeuvres, seemed 
to have concerted measures for mutual defence. The 
large ship appeared to take the bulk of an action. 
Boats were seen passing to and from her. She had 
boarding nettings almost up to her tops, with her top- 
mast studding-sail booms out : and sails at their ends, 
ready for running, as if prepared for a runaway fight. 

Her ports appeared to be painted, and she had 
something on deck, resembling a merchant's boat. 
After all this what do you think she was .-' Have a 
little patience, and I will tell you. At 3 p.m. a sud- 
den squall struck us from the northward, and since 
the ship had not yet received it, before I could get 
our light sails in, and almost before I could turn 
round, I was under the guns, (not of a transport) but 
of a large frigate, and not more than a quarter of a 
mile from her. 

I immediately hauled down English colors, which 
I previously had up, set three American ensigns, 
trimmed our sails by the wind, and commenced a 
brisk fire from our little battery, but this was returned 
with woeful interest. Her first broadside killed two 
men and wounded six others (two of them severely, 
one had since died); it also blew up one of my salt 
boxes, with two nine-pound cartridges ; this communi- 
cated fire to a number of pistols and three tube boxes 
which were lying on the companion way, all of which 
exploded, and some of the tubes penetrated through 
a crevice under the companion leaf, and found their 
way to the cabin floor ; but that was wet, and the fire- 
screen up, so no further accident took place. This, 
together with the fire from the frigate, I assure you, 
made warm work on the Tompkins' quarter-deck. 



No. 8i] Licking a Frigate 253 

but thanks to her heels, and the exertions of my 
brave officers and crew, I still have the command 
of her. 

When the frigate opened her fire on me it was 
about half-past three. I was then a little abaft her 
beam. To have attempted to tack in a hard squall, 
would at least have exposed me to a raking fire, and 
to have attempted it, and failed to do so, would have 
been attended with the inevitable loss of the schooner. 
I therefore thought it most prudent to take her fire 
on the tack on which I was, and this I was exposed 
to from the position I have mentioned, until I had 
passed her bow; all the while she was standing on 
with me, and almost as fast as ourselves, and such a 
tune as was played round my ears, I assure you, I 
never wish to hear again on the same key. 

At four his shot began to fall short of us. At half- 
past four the wind was dying away, the enemy still 
held it, and his ship began to reach us. We got out 
sweeps, and turned all hands to. I also threw all the 
lumber from the deck, and about two thousand pound 
weight of shot from the after hold. From about five 
P.M., all his shot fell short of us. At twenty-five min- 
utes past five the enemy hove about, and I was glad 
to get so clear of one of the most quarrelsome com- 
panions that I ever met with. After the first broad- 
side from the frigate, not a shot struck the hull of 
the Tovipkins, but the water was literally in foam 
all around her. 

The moment before the squall struck us, I told Mr. 
Farnum that she was too heavy for us, and he went 
forward with his glass to take another look, when 
the squall struck the schooner as if by magic, and we 
were up with her, before we could get in our light 



2 54 -^^ ^^^ ^^°-^' 

sails. My officers conducted themselves in a way 
that would have done honor to a more permanent 
service. Mr. . Farnum, first Lieutenant, conducted 
himself with his usual vigor. Mr. Atchison, sailing- 
master, performed his part in the style of a brave 
and accompHshed seaman. Messrs. Miller and Dodd, 
second and third Lieutenants, were not immediately 
under my eye, but the precision and promptitude with 
which all my orders were executed, is sufficient proof 
that they were to be relied upon. Mr. Thomas, boat- 
swain, and Mr. Casewell, master's-mate, were partic- 
ularly active, and deserve encouragement. 

The name of one of my poor fellows who was killed 
ought to be registered on the book of fame, and re- 
membered with reverence as long as bravery is con- 
sidered a virtue. He was a black man, by the name 
of John Johnson ; a twenty-four pound shot struck 
him in the hip, and took away all the lower part of 
his body. In this state the poor, brave fellow lay on 
the deck, and several times exclaimed to his ship- 
mates, " Fire away, boys, neber haul de color down." 
The other was also a black man, by the name of John 
Davis, and was struck in much the same way : he 
fell near me, and several times requested to be thrown 
overboard, saying he was only in the way of the 
others. While America has such sailors, she has 
little to fear from the tyrants of the ocean. 

From the circumstance of the enemy's shot being 
twenty-four which I assure you was the case, as we 
have felt and weighed them, I am of opinion that it was 
the La?irel, a new frigate, which I had information 
of. A gentleman whom I took, told me she was in 
the fleet ; that she was built and manned for the pur- 
pose to cope with our frigates ; that if she got sight 



No. 82] 



Going Aloft 



255 



of me, she would certainly take me, as she was the 
fastest sailer he ever saw. 

I send you a list of the killed and wounded ; in 
every thing else we are in good order and high spirits. 




THE HOUSE OF TIMOTHY DEXTER. 



82. Going Aloft 

By Frederic Stanhope Hill (1842) 

" Now look here, you Bob," said the mate, one fine 
afternoon, " look up aloft there, my lad ; do you see 
that royal yard .'' " 

I looked up, as he bade me, at the royal masthead, 
where the yard seemed to me to be about five hun- 
dred feet above the deck where we stood. 

" Yes, sir, I see it." 

" Very well ; now suppose you go up there and take 
a closer look at it. It's going to be a very familiar 
road for you this voyage, and you had better make 
yourself acquainted with the way at once;" and he 
smiled at his wit, which I failed to appreciate just then. 

The ship was on the wind, with all sails set, and 
drawing well, and she was reasonably steady ; but as 
I gazed aloft, the mast was sweeping about in a very 



256 



At Sea [No. 82 



dazing manner, and the rigging up there seemed to 
me about the size of a fishing line. Remember, I 
had never been aloft in my life. I hesitated. 

"Well, Bob, I am waiting for you, but I shan't 
wait very long, my son ; " and he picked up a piece 
of rattling stuff, a cord about the thickness of one's 
finger, and ostentatiously swayed to and fro. 

I saw that he meant business, and I started on the 
trip at once. I have been aloft since that beautiful 
afternoon, many times in howling gales of wind to 
close-reef topsails ; but I have never since experi- 
enced the abject fear I endured that day before I 
reached the Bombay's royal yard ! 

But I stuck to it, and I accomplished the task at 
last, and my first lesson in seamanship, the severest 
one of all, was past. Perhaps some of my readers 
may think that I magnify the undertaking ; but, as I 
have said, I was a country lad, and in those days 
boys did not have gymnasiums, as they have now, to 
prepare them for such tests. 

" Very well done. Bob, for a first attempt," said 
the mate, laughingly, as I reached the deck and 
busied myself in getting my trousers pulled down my 
legs after my frantic struggle aloft ; " but I thought 
you would have squeezed all the tar out of the royal 
backstay, you gripped it so savagely. Oh, you'll make 
a sailor yet, lad, or I'll know the reason why. Now go 
forward and turn the grindstone for the carpenter." 

From that day on I was kept constantly in practice 
in going aloft, and was soon given the main royal to 
loose and furl ; so that in my watch on deck no other 
person was ever sent aloft for that purpose, and what 
had been but a few weeks before such a terrible 
task, became mere play to me. 



No. 83] A Ship 071 Fire 257 

83. A Ship on Fire 

By Robert B. Dixon (1873) 

While Tom was telling me his story, he had been 
" planking " the deck from rail to rail, continually 
on the lookout, occasionally stopping and peering 
ahead, first from one bow, then from the other, while 
I, leaning on the capstan-head, intently Hstened to 
what he said. Just as he had finished speaking, he 
stood still, and, steadily gazing off to leeward, said to 
me, — 

" Come here. Bob. Your eyes are younger than 
mine: look off there," pointing with his hand, "and 
see if you can make out any thing that looks hke a 
light in the distance." 

I strained my eyes, trying hard to see it, but could 
not. 

" That's a queer-looking light for a ship's side- 
light, and it doesn't look Hke a steamer's mast-head 
light either," said the mate. 

The mate rubbed up the lenses of the spyglass 
with the corner of his coat ; and, bracing himself, 
brought the instrument to his eye on a level with the 
horizon, and, adjusting the focus, looked long and 
steadily at the Hght. Suddenly he exclaimed, "By 
all the mud on Nantucket flats ! That's a ship on 
fire, man. It's a good thing you saw that light. Call 
all hands at once, and square in the yards so that we 
may stand down towards them." 

The mate, going aft, reported to the captain, who 
hastily came on deck. Taking a quick look through 
the glass at the light, which was now plainly visible 
off our port beam, the captain at once ordered the 



^5^ 



At Sea [No. 83 



yards squared, and eased off the main-sheet with his 
own hands. 

" Crowd on every stitch of canvas, set the royal 
and top-mast stay-sail, and be quick about it," cried 
out the captain. 

" Ay, ay, sir ! " came back the cry from the mate, 
who was on the main deck urging on the men. We 
all realized the peril our fellow-creatures on the 
burning ship must be in. All sail was set, and we 
began tearing through the water as fast as it was 
possible for the old brig to go. Every sail was 
trimmed, and drawing to its fullest extent. Two men 
were stationed at the wheel to keep the brig steady, 
that she might not fall off too much from her course. 

We were all eagerly intent, watching the burning 
craft, as we approached nearer. She was now about 
five or six miles distant ; and, at the rate we were 
going, we would be up with her in half an hour. 

The mate, who was on the after-house with the 
captain, walking forward a few steps, sang out, — 

" Lay aft, men, and get the boat ready to lower ! " 

The lashings of the boat, which was hung at the 
" davies," were hastily cast off, and the boat was 
ready to lower into the water at a moment's notice. 
Having now come within a mile of the burning 
vessel, we could easily make out that she was a 
large ship, apparently deeply loaded. The whole 
forward part of the vessel was in flames ; and the 
fire could be seen leaping up through the fore-hatch, 
in which part of the vessel it had probably begun. 

We were now about a quarter of a mile to the 
windward of the burning ship. Our Hght sails were 
quickly taken in, the wheel put down, the brig 
rounded-to, and the topsails filling aback brought 



No. 83] A Ship on Fire 259 

the vessel to a stand-still. The boat, containing the 
second mate and two men, was lowered away at 
once, the falls unhooked, and the men, shipping their 
oars, pulled away with a strong and steady stroke. 
There was nothing for us to do but to wait anxiously 
for the return of our boat, and to find out how we 
might still further render assistance. Fortunately 
for the safety of the boat, the water was very smooth, 
the weather for the past few days having been 
remarkably fine. 

It was a night I shall never forget. The sky was 
brightly illuminated by the glare of the burning ship, 
which also brilliantly lighted up the sea for miles 
around. Our boat was not yet half way to the burn- 
ing ship. Our men could be seen bending at the oars 
with their utmost strength, and using every endeavor 
so reach the ship as soon as possible. At this moment 
a tremendous explosion occurred, which resounded 
again and again, like the rattle of thunder in the 
distance. The main and mizzen masts fell over the 
side with a loud crash, leaving the ship a dismasted 
hulk. The dense smoke from the explosion now 
lifting, we could see debris of all kinds floating in the 
water. 

The hull, which was burning fiercely, was fast 
nearing the water's edge ; and in a few moments 
more, the bow rising high out of the water, the ship 
went down stern first. 

We were in a state of the most intense excitement, 
wondering as to the fate of the poor fellows that we 
had seen left on the deck of the ship just before the 
explosion took place. The smoke which clung to 
the water having lifted sufficiently, we could see our 
boat picking her way through the floating pieces of 



2 6o At Sea [No. 84 

wreck and cargo, some of which, still burning, lighted 
the way. The second mate could be seen standing 
in the stern-sheets of the boat, with the tiller-ropes 
in his hands, eagerly looking about, occasionally 
changing his course as something attracted his atten- 
tion ; now stopping the boat to pull in some apparently 
lifeless object, then steering away to continue the 
search, which he hoped would result in saving all 
the drowning men. 

The ship's boat, which was overloaded, and sat 
deeply in the water, had been slowly pulling towards 
us during this time, and soon came under our lee 
quarter. We threw the men a rope, fastened a side- 
ladder over the stern and, with our assistance, they 
were soon on board. Their boat, for the time being, 
was made fast to the quarter, and allowed to drift 
astern. 

One of the men, who proved to be the first ofificer, 
told the captain that their ship was the English ship 
Oriole of Shields, Capt. Talbot, and that they were 
bound from Philadelphia to Bremen with a cargo of 
petroleum. 



84. Sewing under Difficulties 

By Robert B. Dixon (1873) 

The next morning I was as hungry as a bear, and 
ate my tin-plate-full of "salt boss," potatoes, and 
bread, washing it all down with a pot of muddy 
coffee. Never had any thing tasted so good to me : 
and, having eaten even to the last scrap, I had the 
audacity to ask the cook for another piece of beef ; 



No. 84] Sewing under Dijiculties 261 



but he would not give it to me, saying I had had my 
"stint." 

The day was clear and warm ; a stiff breeze was 
blowing from the north-west, and we were going 
through the water at a good pace ; every thing hold- 
ing favorable, we expected to sight the coast of 
Mexico in 
three days. 

In the after- 
noon the cook 
let me have a 
little fresh 
water to wash 
out some of 
my clothes 
which had 
been wet 
through dur- 
ing the gale ; 
he also gave 
me a small 
piece of soap ; 
and, taking 
the bucket and 
my clothes, I 

went forward, and became a washerman for the 
first time. I rubbed and scrubbed away in the most 
energetic manner, using up my small allowance of 
soap on the first piece ; and, besides, pulled off 
several buttons, tore the heel completely off one 
of my new stockings, and ripped a big slit in my 
shirt. Disgusted with my efforts, I hung uj) my 
dripping garments, not thinking to wring them out, 
and fastened them to the fore-stay, tying them on 




AN OLD DESK. 



262 At Sea [No. 84 

securely, as I thought, with short bits of spun-yarn. 
When I went to take them in, I found two of my 
largest pieces missing : I had not tied them on fast 
enough, and they had blown away. Taking what 
remained, I went into my room, and attempted to 
repair the damage. 

Sewing was something I had never tried before. 
I had several needles all threaded : and after pricking 
my finger several times, I got on very well with the 
sHt in my shirt ; but sewing on a button I found a 
more complicated matter. Going to the cook, I 
asked his assistance : he showed me how it was done, 
and kindly sewed on several for me. I now thought 
I could do it all right, so decided to make the at- 
tempt. The trousers which I wore possessed on one 
side a solitary button, to which for several days I 
had attached the two straps of my suspenders ; and 
now that I was at it, and so confident of my ability, 
I determined to try. my skill at sewing on the button 
myself. Taking the coarsest thread in the box that 
my mother had so well filled for me, and the largest 
needle I could find, I held the eye of it towards the 
light, and tried to thrust the thread through, but 
found it would not go so easily as I had imagined. 
I tried it again, first wetting the thread, and then 
twisting the end to a fine point between my fingers. 
This time, determined it should go through, I took 
deliberate aim ; and, giving it a push, I grasped the 
head of the needle and the thread with my fingers, 
sure that I had succeeded : what was my dismay, on 
carefully opening them, to find the thread had passed 
to one side ! After a few more attempts, and a deal 
of muttered and rather obscure conversation with 
myself, the needle was threaded. "Gloria Mundi ! " 



No. 84] Sewing under Dijiculties 263 

I shouted ; and, pulling the thread through, I doubled 
it, cut it off about a yard long, and tied a large knot 
in the end of it. 

Holding my trousers with my left hand, and keep- 
ing the button firmly in place by a finger and thumb, 
I proceeded with the difficult part of the undertaking. 
I stuck the needle through the hole in the button, 
gave it a quick thrust through the waistband, ran it 
into my side, and doubled over with a howl of pain ; 
then, undismayed, I again grasped the needle, and 
gave it a long hard pull that brought the thread to 
the end. What was my grief, after all this effort, to 
see the button slip over the knot, and roll off onto 
the floor! I had pushed the needle through the 
wrong way. Trying again, and finally getting well 
started, I was just regaining my spirits, when the 
thread snarled up, caught, and broke. After prick- 
ing my fingers several times more, and sticking the 
head of the needle about half an inch under my 
thumb-nail, I got the button sewed on. Having some 
thread left in the needle, I wound it round and round 
between the button and the cloth, until the space was 
about half filled up, and then, running the needle 
several times through the cloth, cut off the thread. 
Having at last succeeded, I was happy. 

The next day was Sunday, and a grand loafing- 
day : nothing was done except to wash down decks 
in the morning, pump the ship, occasionally take a 
slight pull at the braces, steer, and keep lookout. 
The sailors are naturally glad when Sunday comes 
around. Sunday dinner at sea is always a little 
better than common: "plum-duff" with sugar sauce 
is usually supplied forward ; and, if a cook wants to 
keep on the right side of the crew, he must be able to 



264 



At Si 



ea 



[No. 85 



make a good "duff." In appearance it is very much 
like a loaf of brown-bread, with a raisin thrown in 
here and there. A large amount must be made, as 
the sailors expect it ; and if, for any reason, the 
supply should be diminished or cut off, trouble would 
be likely to ensue. 



The ship 
Constitution 
which took 
the Gucrriere 
had grown 
weak and 
old-fash- 
ioned, and it 
was proposed 
in 1830 to 
break her up. 
Holmes's 
poetry had 
an effect, 
and the 
Constitution 
is still in 
existence. 



85. Old Ironsides 

By Oliver Wendell Holmes (1830) 

Ay, tear her tattered ensign down ! 

Long has it waved on high, 
And many an eye has danced to see 

That banner in the sky ; 
Beneath it rung the battle shout, 

And burst the cannon's roar ; — • 
The meteor of the ocean air 

Shall sweep the clouds no more ! 

Her deck, once red with heroes' blood, 

Where knelt the vanquished foe. 
When winds were hurrying o'er the flood, 

And waves were white below. 
No more shall feel the victor's tread. 

Or know the conquered knee ; — 
The harpies of the shore shall pluck 

The eagle of the sea ! 



O better that her shattered hulk 
Should sink beneath the wave ; 

Her thunders shook the mighty deep, 
And there should be her grave ; 



No. 86] A yapa?tese Reception 265 

Nail to the mast her holy flag, 

Set every threadbare sail, 
And give her to the god of storms, 

The lightning and the gale ! 



86. A Japanese Reception 

Bv Commodore Matthew Galbraith Perry (1852) 

Thursday (July 14), opened with a sun that was 
somewhat obscured at early dawn, but which soon 
came out brightly, and dispelled the fogs and clouds 
which overhung the land. 

All on board the ships were alert from the earliest 
hour, making the necessary preparations. Steam 
was got up and the anchors were weighed, that the 
ships might be moved to a position where their guns 
would command the place of reception. All, of 
course, were eager to bear a part in the ceremonies 
of the day, but all could not possibly go, as a suffi- 
cient number must be left to do ship's duty. The 
officers, as had been ordered, were in full official 
dress, while the sailors and marines were in their 
naval and military uniforms of blue and white. 

Before eight bells in the morning watch had struck, 
the SusqucJumna and Mississippi moved slowly down 
the bay. Simultaneously with this movement of our 
ships, six Japanese boats were observed to sail in the 
same direction, but more within the land. On doub- 
ling the head-land which separated the former an- 
chorage from the bay below, the preparations of the 
Japanese on the shore came suddenly into view. The 



2 66 At Sea [no.86 

land bordering the head of the bay was gay with a 
long stretch of painted screens of cloth, upon which 
was emblazoned the arms of the Emperor. Nine tall 
standards stood in the centre of an immense number 
of banners of divers lively colors, which were arranged 
on either side, until the whole formed a crescent of 
variously tinted flags, which fluttered brightly in the 
rays of the morning sun. From the tall standards 
were suspended broad pennons of rich scarlet, which 
swept the ground with their flowing length. On the 
beach in front of this display were ranged regiments 
of soldiers, who stood in fixed order, evidently ar- 
rayed to give an appearance of martial force, that 
the Americans might be duly impressed with the 
military power of the Japanese. 

Two boats approached as the steamers neared the 
opening of the bay, and when the anchors were 
dropped they came alongside the SnsqucJianna. 
Kayama Yezaiman, with his two interpreters, came 
on board, followed immediately by Nagazima Sabo- 
roske and an officer in attendance, who had come in 
the second boat. They were duly received at the 
gangway, and conducted to seats on the quarter deck. 
All were dressed in full official costume, somewhat 
different from their ordinary garments. Their gowns, 
though of the usual shape, were much more elabo- 
rately adorned. The material was of very rich silk 
brocade of gay colors, turned up with yellow velvet, 
and the whole dress was highly embroidered with 
gold lace in various figures, among which was con- 
spicuously displayed on the back, sleeves, and breast 
the arms of the wearer. Saboroske, in spite of his 
elaborate toilette and his finery, all bedizened with 
gold thread, glossy silk, and gay colors, did not pro- 



No. 86] A yapanese Reception 267 

duce a very impressive effect ; but by his comical 
appearance provoked mirth rather than admiration. 
He had, in fact, very much the appearance of an 
unusually brilliant knave of trumps. A signal was 
now hoisted from the SiisqucluDina as a summons for 
the boats from the other ships, and in the course of 
half an hour they had all pulled alongside with their 
various officers, sailors, and marines, detailed for the 
day's ceremonies. The ships' boats followed after in 
order, with the cutters containing the two bands of 
the steamers, who enlivened the occasion with their 
cheerful music. 

The guides in the Japanese boats pointed to the 
landing place toward the centre of the curved shore, 
where a temporary wharf had been built out from the 
beach by means of bags of sand and straw. The 
advance boat soon touched the spot, and Captain 
Buchanan, who commanded the party, sprang ashore, 
being the first of the Americans who landed in the 
Kingdom of Japan. The rest of the boats now pulled 
in and disembarked their respective loads. The 
marines (one hundred) marched up the wharf, and 
formed into line on either side, facing the sea ; then 
came the hundred sailors, who were also ranged in 
rank and file as they advanced, while the two bands 
brought up the rear. The American force was 
composed of very vigorous, able-bodied men, who 
contrasted strongly with the smaller and more ef- 
feminate-looking Japanese. Their line extended 
around the whole circuit of the beach, from the 
further extremity of the village to the abrupt accliv- 
ity of the hill which bounded the bay on the north- 
ern side ; while an immense number of the soldiers 
thronged in, behind and under cover of the cloth 



2 68 At Sea [No.se 

screens which stretched along the rear. The loose 
order of this Japanese army did not betoken any 
very great degree of discipline. The soldiers were 
tolerably well armed and equipped. Their uniform 
was very much like the ordinary Japanese dress. 
Their arms were swords, spears, and match-locks. 
Those in front were all infantry, archers and lancers; 
but large bodies of cavalry were seen behind, some- 
what in the distance, as if held in reserve. The 
horses of these seemed of a fine breed, hardy, of 
good bottom, and brisk in action ; and these troopers, 
with their rich caparisons, presented at least a showy 
cavalcade. Along the base of the rising ground 
which ascended behind the village, and entirely in 
the rear of the soldiers, was a large number of the 
inhabitants, among whom there was quite an assem- 
blage of women, who gazed with intense curiosity, 
through the openings in the line of the military, upon 
the stranger visitors from another hemisphere. 

On the arrival of the Commodore, his suite of 
officers formed a double Hne along the landing place, 
and as he passed up between, they fell into order 
behind him. The procession was then formed and 
took up its march toward the house of reception, the 
route to which was pointed out by Kayama Yezaiman 
and his interpreter, who preceded the party. The 
marines led the way, and the sailors following, 
the Commodore was duly escorted up the beach. 
The United States flag and the broad pennant were 
borne by two athletic seamen, who had been selected 
from the crews of the squadron on account of their 
stalwart proportions. Two boys, dressed for the 
ceremony, preceded the Commodore, bearing in an 
envelope of scarlet cloth the boxes which contained 



No. 86] A yapanese Reception 269 

his credentials and the President's letter. These 
documents, of folio size, were beautifully written on 
vellum, and not folded, but bound in blue silk velvet. 
Each seal, attached by cords of interwoven gold and 
silk with pendant gold tassels, was encased in a cir- 
cular box six inches in diameter and three in depth, 
wrought of pure gold. Each of the documents, 
together with its seal, was placed in a box of rose- 
wood about a foot long, with lock, hinges, and 
mountings, all of gold. On either side of the Com- 
modore marched a tall, well-formed negro, who, 
armed to the teeth, acted as his personal guard. 
These blacks, selected for the occasion, were two of 
the best-looking fellows of their color that the squad- 
ron could furnish. All this parade was but for 
effect. 

The procession was obliged to make a somewhat 
circular movement to reach the entrance of the house 
of reception. This gave a good opportunity for the 
display of the escort. 

As the Commodore and his suite ascended to the 
reception room, the two dignitaries who were seated 
on the left arose and bowed, and the Commodore and 
suite were conducted to the arm chairs which had 
been provided for them on the right. They were 
both men of advanced years, the former apparently 
about fifty, and the latter some ten or fifteen years 
older. Prince Toda was the better looking man of 
the two, and the intellectual expression of his large 
forehead and amiable look of his regular features 
contrasted very favorably with the more wrinkled 
and contracted, and less intelligent face of his asso- 
ciate, the prince of Iwami. They were both very 
richly dressed, their garments being of heavy silk 



270 



At Sea [No. 86 



brocade interwoven with elaborately wrought figures 
in gold and silver. 

From the beginning, the two princes had assumed 
an air of statuesque formality which they preserved 
during the whole interview, as they never spoke a 
word, and rose from their seats only at the entrance 
and exit of the Commodore, when they made a grave 
and formal bow. 



PART VII 

THE ARMY 



87. A Soldier in the Whiskey 
Rebellion 

By John Shippen (1794) 

Mount Pleasant Township, 
Oct. 31, 1794. 

My Dear Father : I am now seated in our tent, 
surrounded by two or three of my companions, while 
the remainder of the ten are finishing their supper. 
It is composed of chocolate, bread and butter, and 
the remnants of a chicken or two, which gratified our 
palates at noon. 

They are supping on a little platform erected by 
way of sunshine table, at the door. 

The talking and laughing of those around, and two 
different songs, one from each of the neighboring 
tents, combined at once in my ear, would perhaps 
entirely prevent me from writing or thinking at all, 
but that I have been so used to it for about two weeks 
past. I scarcely know that I am in the midst of it. 

I might add before I proceed, that by way of table, 
271 



272 The yirmy [no. 87 

I have placed on my lap a little board. Yesterday 
morning it was the cover of a provision box for our 
mess, which had the ill fortune to be staved to pieces. 
This was part of the damage done to the property 
of our company, by the oversetting of our wagon 
yesterday. 

I cannot help thanking you, sir, just in this place 
for your thoughtfulness and kindness in sending me 
your little green waxen taper. It serves me as light 
on this occasion. Were it not for its aid, I should be 
obliged to postpone writing till morning. 

What with cooking, eating, feeding, currying and 
watering our horses, attending roll, standing guard, 
making our beds, and riding out in the country by 
turns to procure such necessaries as we want and to 
get our clothes washed, it consumes the whole day. 

When we march it requires the greatest exertions 
to have every thing go smooth. If this were not the 
case, we should be unhappy. Work keeps our bodies, 
and consequently our minds, fully employed. 

Things are most amazingly dear. We have how- 
ever reduced prices somewhat by declaring we would 
not be imposed upon. We have plenty of beef and 
flour, sometimes we are lucky enough to draw bread. 
Hay and oats have been the scarcest. Hay has been 
less plenty. However, we are now getting in a more 
plentiful country. 

Our marches are excessively slow and tiresome. 
We have sat on our horses, six, seven, and eight 
hours at a time, in the rain. One night, and that the 
worst since I left home, we slept on straw at the fire, 
covered by blanketing, without tents. The wagons 
had not been able to reach us. I believe not a single 
person experienced the slightest injury from it. 



No. 88] Escape from the Enemy 273 
88. An Escape from the Enemy 

By John Shippen (1794) 

PllTSBURGH, Nov. 1 5, 1 794. 

Dear and Honored Sir : I am sorry I have not 
been able to write you oftener than I have. The 
seldomness of an opportunity, the real want of time, 
sometimes the hurry and flurry of the camp, and at 
other times our tent, are some circumstances that 
have prevented my enjoying the agreeable exercise. 

Nine prisoners were brought the other night by 
some of our scouring parties, from their beds in this 
town to the Pennsylvania Camp before they reached 
this encampment. They are now under guard. 

I am told that a man by the name of Hamilton, 
who was very active in the late disturbances, was 
lately informed on. A person who knew him well 
undertook to describe his dress and identify him. A 
body of troo'^DS were set to guard the house ; their 
orders were to shoot him if he came out and attempted 
flight. 

In the meantime the cunning rogue was busy 
changing his dress for that of a hired man, very dif- 
ferent from his own. He walked out of the house 
with apparent carelessness and unconcern. He spoke 
with the soldiers and officers. Indeed, he answered 
some questions that were put to him regarding Ham- 
ilton, with such adroitness that he escaped through 
them and fled. This story seems improbable but I 
am told that it is true. 

Pittsburgh is a handsome situation. I think I never 
saw two more beautiful rivers than the Monongahela 
and Alleghany. Pittsburgh is amazingly crowded with 

T 



274 



The Army 



[No. 89 



quarters of generals, colonels, aid-de-camps, and other 
officers. The people are afraid of being eaten up if 
the army should rest here, but I believe there is not 
the most distant danger. 



Five 

thousand 
British troops 
landed about 
fifty miles 
from 

Washington 
and marched 
up, took the 
city, and 
burned the 
public 
buildings. 



89. The British March to 
Washington 

By George Robert Gleig (1812) 

We started, on the 24th, at an early hour, and our 
march was, for some time, both cool and agreeable. 
No sooner had we begun to emerge from the woods, 
and to enter the open country, than an overpowering 
change was perceived. The sun, from which we had 
been hitherto defended, now beat upon us in full 
force ; and the dust rising in thick masses from 
under our feet, without a breath of air to disperse it, 
flew directly into our faces, occasioning the greatest 
inconvenience both to the eyes and respiration. Be- 
fore many hours had elapsed, numbers of men began 
to fall behind, from absolute inability to keep up. 

It was now that we experienced the great useful- 
ness of our badly mounted troopers, or as they were 
called by the private soldiers, our cossacks. The 
country, from being extremely wooded, had become 
open on every side to a considerable extent, although 
thick groves, instead of hedges, frequently separated 
one field from another. This was exactly the ground 
on which an enemy's cavalry could act with advan- 
tage ; because they might he in ambush behind these 
groves, totally unperceived, and when an opportunity 
offered, might charge our column, before it had time 



No. 89] 



On the March 



275 



to prepare for their reception. There were one or 
two places, indeed, where such events were confidently- 
anticipated ; whole rows of paling having been pulled 
up from the side of the road, and open spaces left, 
through which several squadrons of horse might 
gallop; and the consequence was that every man 
held his breath in expectation, and prepared himself 
to form square in a moment. It was here, I say, that 
the mounted drivers became peculiarly useful. They 







i.. 


."V i. 




c 

v.- 




i 


^^s. 

^ ^ 


t^r 


-^^ 




THE CITY OF WASHINGTON IN iSoO. 



were divided into small parties of six or eight, and 
sent out in different directions to reconnoitre, two of 
them generally taking post at every suspicious corner, 
that one might give notice to the column, while the 
other watched the motions of the enemy. 

We had now proceeded about nine miles, during 
the last four of which the sun's rays had beat con- 
tinually upon us, and we had inhaled almost as great 
a quantity of dust as of air. Numbers of men had 



276 



The Army 



[No. 89 



already fallen to the rear, and many more could with 
difficulty keep up ; consequently, if we pushed on 
much further without resting, the chances were that 
at least one-half of the army would be left behind. 
To prevent this from happening, and to give time for 
the stragglers to overtake the column, an halt was 
determined upon, and the troops were led forward to 
a spot of ground well wooded, and watered by a 
stream which crossed the road, and they were ordered 
to refresh themselves. 

The hour of noon was approaching when a heavy 
cloud of dust, apparently not more than two or three 
miles distant, attracted our attention. On turning a 
sudden angle in the road, and passing a small planta- 
tion, which obstructed the vision towards the left, the 
British and American armies became visible to one 
This was at another. The position occupied by the latter was one 
Biadensburg, of great Strength, and commanding attitude. They 
Washin'^ton. wcrc drawn up in three lines upon the brow of a hill, 
having their front and left flank covered by a branch 
of the Potomac, and their right resting upon a thick 
wood and a deep ravine. This river flowed between 
the heights occupied by the American forces and the 
little town of Bladensburgh. Across it was thrown 
a narrow bridge, extending from the chief street in 
that town to the continuation of the road, which 
passed through the very centre of their position. 

In the mean time, our column continued to advance 
in the same order which it had hitherto preserved. 
The road conducted us for about two miles in a direc- 
tion parallel with the river, and also with the enemy's 
line. In a short time we arrived in the streets of 
Bladensburgh, and within range of the American 
artillery. Immediately on our reaching this point. 



No. 89] Ofi the March 277 

several of their guns opened upon us, and kept up a 
quick and well-directed cannonade, from which, as we 
were again commanded to halt, the men were directed 
to shelter themselves as much as possible behind the 
houses. 

Without allowing time to the column to close its 
ranks or to be formed by some of the many stragglers, 
who were now hurrying, as fast as weariness would 
permit, to regain their places, the order to halt was 
countermanded, and the word given to attack ; and 
we immediately pushed on at double quick time 
towards the head of the bridge. While we were 
moving along the street, a continued fire was kept 
up, with some execution, from those guns which 
stood to the left of the road ; but it was not till the 
bridge was covered with our people that the two-gun 
battery upon the road itself began to play. Then, 
indeed, it also opened, and with tremendous effect ; 
for at the first discharge almost an entire company 
was swept down. The riflemen, likewise, now galled 
us from the wooded bank with a running fire of 
musketry ; and it was not without trampling on many 
of their dead and dying comrades that the light brigade 
established itself on the opposite side of the stream. 

When once there, however, every thing else ap- 
peared easy. Wheeling off to the right and left of 
the road, they dashed into the thicket, and quickly 
cleared it of American skirmishers ; who, falling back 
with precipitation upon the first line, threw it into 
disorder before it had fired a shot. The consequence 
was, that our troops had scarcely shown themselves 
when the whole of that line gave way, and fled in 
the greatest confusion, leaving the two guns upon 
the road in possession of the victors. 



278 The Army [no. 89 

The light brigade lightened themselves by throwing 
away their knapsacks and haversacks ; and extending 
their rank so as to show an equal front with the 
enemy, pushed on to the attack of the second line. 
The Americans, however, saw our weakness, and 
stood firm ; they had the whole of their artillery, with 
the exception of those captured on the road, and the 
greater part of their infantry in this line, and first 
checked the ardour of the assailants by a heavy fire, 
then, in their turn, advanced to recover the ground 
which was lost. The extended order of the British 
troops would not permit them to offer an effectual 
resistance against this charge, and they were accord- 
ingly borne back to the very thicket upon the river's 
brink. Here they maintained themselves with deter- 
mined obstinacy, repelling all attempts to drive them 
through it ; frequently they followed to within a short 
distance of the cannon's mouth, such parts of the 
enemy's fine as gave way. 

In this state the action continued till the second 
brigade had likewise crossed and formed upon the 
right bank of the river; when the 44th Regiment, 
moving to the right and driving in the skirmishers, 
debouched upon the left flank of the Americans and 
completely turned it. In that quarter, therefore, the 
battle was won. The rout was now general through- 
out the whole line. The reserve, which ought to 
have supported the main body, fled as soon as those 
in its front began to give way ; and the cavalry, 
instead of charging the British troops, turned their 
horses' heads and galloped off, leaving them in un- 
disputed possession of the field, and of ten out of the 
twenty pieces of artillery. 

This battle, by which the fate of the American capitol 



No. 89] On the March 279 

was decided, began about one o'clock in the afternoon 
and lasted until four. The loss on the part of the Eng- 
lish was severe, since, out of two-thirds of the army, 
which were engaged, upwards of five hundred men 
were killed and wounded. On the side of the Amer- 
icans the slaughter was not so great. Being in pos- 
session of a strong position they were of course less 
exposed in defending, than the others in storming it ; 
and had they conducted themselves with coolness and 
resolution it is not conceivable how the day could 
have been won. 

Our troops were worn down from fatigue, and igno- 
rant of the country, so that the pursuit could not be 
continued to any distance. Neither was it attended 
with much slaughter. Diving into the recesses of 
the forests, and covering themselves with riflemen, 
the enemy were quickly beyond our reach ; and as 
they had no cavalry to scour even the high road, ten 
of the lightest of their guns were carried off in flight. 
The defeat, however, was absolute, and the army, 
which had been collected for the defence of Washing- 
ton, was scattered beyond the possibility of, at least, 
an immediate reunion ; and as the distance from 
Bladensburgh to that city does not exceed four miles, 
there appeared to be no further obstacle in the way 
to prevent its immediate capture. 




AN OFFICER OF TUF WAR OF l8i: 



No. 90] From the White House 281 

90. From the Mistress of the 
White House 

By Dolly Madison (1814) 

Tuesday, August 23, 1814. 

Dear Sister : My husband left me yesterday 
morning to join General Winter. He inquired anx- 
iously whether I had courage or firmness to remain 
in the President's house until his return on the mor- 
row, or succeeding day, and on my assurance that 
I had no fear but for him, and the success of our 
army, he left, beseeching me to take care of myself, 
and of the Cabinet papers, public and private. I 
have since received two despatches from him written 
with a pencil. The last is alarming, because he 
desires that I should be ready at a moment's notice 
to enter my carriage and leave the city ; that the 
enemy seemed stronger than had at first been re- 
ported, and it might happen that they would reach 
the city with the intention of destroying it. 

I am accordingly ready ; I have pressed as many 
Cabinet papers into trunks as to fill one carriage ; our 
private property m.ust be sacrificed, as it is impossible 
to procure wagons for its transportation. I am deter- 
mined not to go myself until I see Mr. Madison safe, 
so that he can accompany me, as I hear of much 
hostility toward him. Disaffection stalks around us. 
My friends and acquaintances are all gone, even the 
Colonel with his hundred who were stationed as a 
guard in this enclosure. French John (a faithful ser- 
vant), with his usual activity and resolution, offers to 
spike the cannon at the gate, and lay a train of pow- 
der, which would blow up the British, should they 
enter the house. To the last proposition I positively 



282 The Ar7?iy [No. 90 

object, without being able to make him understand 
why all advantages in war may not be taken. 

Wednesday morning, twelve o'clock — Since sun- 
rise, I have been turning my spy-glass in every direc- 
tion, and watching with unwearied anxiety, hoping to 
discover the approach of my dear husband and his 
friends; but alas! I can descry only groups of mili- 
tary, as if there was a lack of arms, or of spirit to 
fight for their own fireside. 

Three d clock — Will you believe it, my sister .'' we 
have had a battle or skirmish near Bladensburgh, and 
here I am still within sound of the cannon! Mr. Madi- 
son comes not. May God protect us ! Two mes- 
sengers, covered with dust, come to bid me fly ; but 
here I mean to wait for him. 

At this late hour a wagon has been procured, and 
I have had it filled, with plate, and the most valuable 
portable articles, belonging to the house. Whether 
it will reach its destination, the "Bank of Maryland," 
or fall into the hands of British soldiery, events must 
determine. Our kind friend Mr. Carroll, has come to 
hasten my departure, and in a very bad humour with 
me, because I insist on waiting till the large picture 
of General Washington is secured, and it requires to 
be unscrewed from the wall. This process was found 
too tedious for these perilous moments ; I have ordered 
the frame to be broken, and the canvas taken out. It 
is done and the precious portrait placed in the hands 
of two gentlemen of New York for safe keeping. 
And now, dear sister, I must leave this house, or the 
retreating army will make me a prisoner in it by filling 
up the road I am directed to take. When I shall 
again write to you, or where I shall be to-morrow, I 
cannot tell! Dolly. 



No. 91] The Pillar of Glory 283 

91. The Pillar of Glory 

By Edwin C. Holland (1813) 

Hail to the heroes whose triumphs have brighten'd 

The darkness which shrouded America's name ; 
Long shall their valor in battle that lighten'd, 
Live in the brilliant escutcheons of fame : 

Dark where the torrents flow, 

And the rude tempests blow, 
The storm clad spirit of Albion raves ; 

Long shall she mourn the day, 

When, in the vengeful fray, 
Liberty walk'd like a god on the waves. 

The ocean, ye chiefs, (the region of glory. 

Where fortune has destined Columbia to reign,) 
Gleams with the halo and lustre of story, 

That curl round the wave as the scene of her fame : 

There, on its raging tide, 

Shall her proud navy ride. 
The bulwark of freedom, protected by heaven ; 

There shall her haughty foe, 

Bow to her prowess low, 
There shall renown to her heroes be given. 

The Pillar of Glory, the sea that enlightens. 

Shall last till eternity rocks on its base, 
The splendor of fame its waters that brightens, 
Shall light the footsteps of time in his race : 

Wide o'er the stormy deep, 

Where the rude surges sweep, 
Its lustre shall circle the brows of the brave ; 

Honor shall give it light, 

Triumph shall keep it bright, 
Lonsr as in battle we meet on the wave. 



284 



The Army 



[No. 92 



Already the storm of contention has hurl'd 

From the grasp of Old England the trident of war, 
The beams of our stars have illumined the world, 
Unfurl'd our standard beats proud in the air: 

Wild glares the eagle's eye, 

Swift as he cuts the sky. 
Marking the wake where our heroes advance ; 

Compass'd with rays of light. 

Hovers he o'er the fight ; 
Albion is heartless — and stoops to his glance. 



92. The First Attempt on New 
Orleans 

By a British Officer (1814) 

Before daylight, on the morning of the 13th, the 
boats, armed with carronades, entered the lake, and, 
after a pull of thirty-six hours, against the wind and 




A BIG GUN OF l8l2. 



Strong currents, the boats came, on the morning of 
the 14th, within sight of five American gun-vessels, 
which were moored off Saint Joseph's Island. 



No. 92] New Orleans 285 

The boats were got into more dense order, and 
threw out their grapplings to get some refreshment, 
within a short pull of the enemy's line. 

All being ready, the signal was given to advance, 
and when the boats were in good range the Americans 
pounded away. The boats' crews cried " Give way ! " 
and cheered loudly ; hence it became a boat-race. 
The Americans were moored in line, at least four hun- 
dred yards apart one from the other, while the attack- 
ing boats were a good deal divided, and each boat 
pulling away wildly came to close quarters. The 
clouds of smoke rolled upwards, and the splashing of 
round and grape shot in the water, and the loud ex- 
hortations of " Give way ! " presented an animated 
scene at mid-day. The British at last mastered the 
Americans, and captured all the five vessels in suc- 
cession, making their different crews prisoners, but 
not before some of the guns of the captured vessels 
had been turned upon those that still resisted, to en- 
able the boarders to complete their victory. 

By the 21st all the land forces were concentrated 
upon the Isle au Poix, situated about equidistant from 
the anchorage of the fleet and the destined place of 
landing. 

Captain Travers's company of riflemen were pulled 
ahead. Seeing a fire on the right-hand side of the 
creek, a short way within its mouth, these riflemen 
quietly stepped ashore, and with a simultaneous rush 
they contrived to capture the whole of this lookout 
American picket without a single gun of alarm having 
been discharged by either party. The straggling 
boats then dashed up the creek, which is enclosed on 
either side by a vast sea of reeds. Soon after day- 
light, a few of the troops made good their landing on 



2 86 The A 7^ my [no. 92 

the left-hand side of the creek, within seven miles of 
New Orleans during the previous night, and the other 
boats came up one by one. Early the next day one 
thousand six hundred British troops were landed 
within seven miles of New Orleans. After marching 
through a small wood they came upon more solid 
ground near the head of the Bayau, and reached a 
house and plantation near the bank of the Mississippi. 
Here the same company of riflemen, which had taken 
the American picket the night before, now again took 
a major and twenty armed American militia-men, in 
coloured clothes, prisoners, within six miles of New 
Orleans, without a shot being discharged on either 
side, or an individual left at liberty to carry any intel- 
ligence of so wonderful an arrival of armed visitors 
so near the city. Unfortunately the captive major 
effected his escape, and conveyed the news of the 
landing of the British to Orleans. 

Not a single obstacle worthy of naming stopped the 
march of the soldiers. 

There was still five hours' light ; but the whole 
day was lost, and the troops halted at the very time 
they ought to have gone on. Two American vessels 
were seen anchored up the river, but no notice was 
taken of them, or rather no preparations were made 
to receive them should they slip their cables, although 
the spot which the British were now holding was a 
contracted space of ground within a few hundred 
yards of the Mississippi. 

Night was now coming on apace ; the British 
troops were already landed, and the soldiers were 
lounging about. 

Fires now blazed in the bivouac and all around 
Monsieur Villerey's house, and many lights showed 



No. 92] New Orlearis 287 

the dark outlines of men passing to and fro, and 
busily employed cooking in the kettles belonging to 
the slaves of the plantation. Some of the soldiers 
were asleep, whilst others were partaking of a warm 
meal after a long fast. 

In this happy state of security his Britannic Majes- 
ty's troops were indulging, their arms piled, and each 
soldier looking after his httle immediate necessities. 
Their van-guards were in front at the usual military 
distance when, at eight o'clock, a heavy splash in 
the river was distinctly heard by some of the troops. 
This soon proved to be the American sloop of four- 
teen guns which had been seen up the river ; and 
now, after dark came down, let go her anchor, and 
swung round her head to the current, with her broad- 
side facing the bivouac, within a few hundred yards. 
The fires, like so many land-marks or beacons, enabled 
the Americans to point their guns. All was prepared 
on board the sloop, and vice versa all was unprepared 
on shore, when a sonorous voice was heard to exclaim, 
in broad English, (as if rising out of the waters of the 
Mississippi), " Now, give it 'em ! " As the flashes 
from the cannon reflected for a moment the out- 
lines of the ominous sloop on the water, the round 
and grape-shot plunged like so many thunder-bolts 
amongst the astounded troops, and the balls bore 
down whole piles of arms, knocking kettles off the 
fires, scattering blazing beams of wood about, maim- 
ing some soldiers, and sending others whence no 
traveller returns. 

The morning of the 24th broke sluggishly, and the 
smoking ports of the sloop (it was a sore thorn in the 
side of the British head-quarters) still projected its 
iron thunder amonsrst the besieged. 



2 88 The Army [no. 92 

By the morning of the 25th all the scattered re- 
mains of the British force were landed piece-meal, 
hour after hour, by the prodigious exertions of the 
sailors. All eyes were still cast on the American 
schooner, whose sides still smoked by day, and at 
night vomited iron harbingers from its ports into the 
bivouac of the British, so that, in point of fact, the 
city of New Orleans and General Jackson now became 
only a secondary consideration, and the discussion was 
how to get rid of this watery dragon ; for the destruc- 
tion of which heavy guns were sent for to the fleet, if 
possible, to blow her out of the water. 

General Jackson profited by this floating deception, 
placed there to allure the British general, and took 
advantage of his own manoeuvre, which fortunately 
for him had the desired effect; and he prolonged the 
broad ditch by making a cut across the high road to 
the bank of the Mississippi, about one hundred yards 
behind the crescent battery on the high road. 

This work was executed as a sort of forlorn hope 
to save New Orleans even for a day. Behind this 
cut and the ditch, the American general promptly 
constructed a barricade nearly three quarters of a 
mile in length, extending from the Mississippi on his 
right to the impassable wood on his left, all across a 
flat and naked plain, and within a few hundred yards 
of the British out-guards. 

The manner of putting this barricade together was 
most curious : in the first instance detached barrels 
and sugar casks were brought up and left here and 
there standing isolated, the apertures between them 
being filled up with mud and all sorts of odds and 
ends placed along the edge of the ditch so as to 
form a temporary screen to protect the defenders 



No. 92] New Or leasts 289 

against musketry ; the barricade being hardly breast 
high, looked like some contemptible expedient, but 
the ditch ten feet wide and two or three feet deep 
protected this barricade in front, and made a pretty 
tolerable field position. 

Four heavy pieces of cannon were now in the 
crescent battery, which made it somewhat more 
respectable. The rude barricade as a war stratagem 
was botched together in a sorry straggling way, but 
was added to and improved in strength from hour to 
hour, and the interstices betwixt the casks and other 
crevices of these rough and ready materials were 
caulked up with mud and other materials. All this 
labour was executed, without any annoyance from the 
British advanced posts, within one mile and a quarter 
of their head-quarters, by a defeated mass of peas- 
antry, who only stood their ground because no one 
molested them. 

On the 27th, the besieged blew up the American 
sloop from the battery with hot balls, and her timbers 
floated down the turbid waters of the Mississippi, but 
not before her crew had taken to their boats and got 
safely ashore. 

On the morning of the 28th, at day-break. General 
Gibbs, with his brigade, advanced towards the left of 
the American barricades, and General Keane in like 
manner along the high road parallel to the river, un- 
housed an American picket from a building a few 
hundred yards in front of their crescent battery, 
which the enemy set on fire to make more smoke. 

General Keane's brigade was steadily advancing, 
the rifle-corps leading ; but when within good cannon 
range, the crescent battery, with full charge of pow- 
der and ball, resounded a loud defiance, and some 



290 The Army [no. 92 

cannon balls, striking the centre of the middle regi- 
ment of the British, knocked down the soldiers, and 
tossed them into the air like old bags. This column, 
to the utter astonishment of officers and soldiers, was 
ordered to halt just as their blood was up ready for 
the usual rush. And the light field-pieces began an 
interchange with the once significant crescent bat- 
tery. The American ship of sixteen guns now threw 
its broadside obliquely in conjunction with the guns 
of the battery in front, that nearly destroyed all the 
artillery-men working the two British guns, and soon 
stopped their remonstrances ; a few sailors finally 
dragged the guns off the field of contention, the 
gunners being nearly all killed or wounded. At first 
the centre of the column on the high road was thrown 
into some confusion, but was soon restored to order. 

A battery was erected by the British seven hundred 
yards from the crescent battery of the Americans, and 
on the 1st of January, 1815, his Britannic Majesty's 
troops were again ordered to advance. A dense white 
fog, however, for a time obscured all objects, and was 
one of the luckiest circumstances that could have 
happened for the advantage of the attacking body. 
When it cleared off the heavy guns of the British 
opened with such effect that most of the Americans 
deserted the crescent battery, and a great deal of 
confusion happened within their main lines ; for this 
being the first time they had felt the effects of round 
shot of any magnitude, and many of them went off 
towards New Orleans, while the bravest crouched be- 
hind their epaulments ready to stand up to repel the 
expected assault. For more than ten minutes they 
did not fire a gun, and the British cannoniers had the 
fight all to themselves. A whole brigade of infantry 



No. 93] Battle of the Thames 291 

close at hand burned to be ordered on to the assault, 
and with loud words demanded why they were not 
led on, when ladders and other materials had been 
brought up for the passage of that ditch. But to 
their utter astonishment no such order was given, 
and there is no doubt that the British troops, rushing 
on under cover of their guns with a few planks, 
would have obtained possession of the enemy's works 
with facility. 

The Americans, seeing that no one came to molest 
them, first opened one gun, then a second, until all 
their artillery was subsequently manned. The weak 
defences of the British mud battery were pierced 
through and through, some of its guns dismounted, 
and a fresh batch of artillerymen nearly all killed 
and wounded ; its fire was silenced, and at night the 
residue of its guns were either dragged away or 
buried. Thus ended the second siege of the crescent 
battery. 

It was now considered by the British general that 
the American barricade was too strong to attack in 
front with his present force. 



93. Battle of the Thames 

By Henry M. Brackenridge (1813) 

On the 5th of October, the pursuit was renewed ; 
they captured provisions and ammunition to a con- 
siderable amount, and reached the place where the 
enemy had encamped the night before. Colonel 
Wood was now sent forward by the Commander-in- 
Chief, to reconnoitre the British and Indian forces ; 



292 



The Army 



[No. 93 



and he very soon returned with information, that they 
had made a stand a few miles distant, and were ready 
for action. General Proctor had drawn up his regu- 
lar forces across a narrow strip of land covered with 
beech-trees, flanked on one side by a swamp and on 
the other by the river ; their left rested on the river 
supported by the larger portion of their artillery, and 
their right on the swamp. Beyond the swamp, and 
between it and another morass still further to the 




UNDER FIRE. 



right, were the Indians under Tecumseh. This posi- 
tion was skilfully chosen by Proctor, with regard to 
locality, and the character of his troops ; but he com- 
mitted an irreparable oversight in neglecting to fortify 
his front by a ditch, and in drawing up his troops 
" in open order, that is, with intervals of three or four 
feet between the files " — a mode of array which 
could not resist a charge of cavalry. His whole force 
consisted of about eight hundred regular soldiers and 
two thousand Indians. 



No. 93] Battle of the Thames 293 

The American troops, amounting to something 
more than three thousand men, were now disposed 
in order of battle. General Harrison had at first 
ordered the mounted men to form in two lines, op- 
posite to the Indians ; but he soon observed that the 
underwood here was too close for cavalry to act with 
any effect. He was aware of the egregious error 
committed by Proctor as above mentioned, and well 
knew the dexterity of backwoodsmen in riding, and 
in the use of the rifle, in forest ground, so he immedi- 
ately determined that one battalion of the mounted 
regiment should charge on the British regulars. The 
other was left to confront the Indians. The requisite 
arrangements were made, and the army had moved 
forward but a short distance, when the enemy fired. 
This was the signal for our cavalry to charge ; and, 
although the men and horses in the front of the col- 
umn at first recoiled, they soon recovered themselves, 
and the whole body dashed through the enemy with 
irresistible force. Instantly forming in the rear of 
the British, they poured on them a destructive fire, 
and were about to make a second charge, when the 
British officers, finding it impossible, from the nature 
of the ground and the panic which prevailed, to form 
their broken ranks, immediately surrendered. 

On the left, the battle was begun by Tecumseh 
with great fury. The galling fire of the Indians did 
not check the advance of the American columns; 
but the charge was not successful, from the miry 
character of the soil and the number and closeness 
of the thickets which covered it. In these circum- 
stances, Colonel Johnson ordered his men to dis- 
mount, and leading them up a second time, succeeded 
after a desperate contest in breaking through the 



2 94 '^^^ Army [no. 93 

line of the Indians and gaining their rear. Notwith- 
standing this, and that the colonel now directed his 
men to fight them in their own mode, the Indians 
were unwilling to yield the day ; they quickly col- 
lected their principal strength on the right and at- 
tempted to penetrate the line of infantry. At first 
they made an impression on it ; but they were soon 
repulsed by the aid of a regiment of Kentucky volun- 
teers led on by the aged Shelby, who had been posted at 
the angle formed by the front line and Desha's division. 
The combat now raged with increasing fury ; the 
Indians, to the number of twelve or fifteen hundred, 
seeming determined to maintain their ground to the 
last. The terrible voice of Tecumseh could be dis- 
tinctly heard, encouraging his warriors; and although 
beset on every side except that of the morass, they 
fought with more determined courage than they had 
ever before exhibited. An incident, however, now 
occurred which eventually decided the contest. The 
gallant Colonel Johnson having rushed towards the 
spot where the Indians, clustering around their un- 
daunted chief, appeared resolved to perish by his side, 
his uniform, and the white horse which he rode, 
rendered him a conspicuous object. In a moment 
his holsters, dress and accoutrements were pierced 
with a hundred bullets, and he fell to the ground 
severely wounded. Tecumseh, meanwhile, was killed 
in the melee. After the rescue and removal of the 
wounded colonel, the command devolved on Major 
Thompson. The Indians maintained the fight for 
more than an hour ; but when they no longer heard 
the voice of their great captain, they at last gave way 
on all sides. Near the spot where this struggle took 
place, thirty Indians and six whites were found dead. 



No. 93] Battle of the Thames 295 

Thus fell Tecumseh, one of the most celebrated 
warriors that ever raised the tomahawk against us ; 
and with him faded the last hope of our Indian ene- 
mies. This untutored man was the determined foe 
of civilization, and had for years been laboring to 
unite all the Indian tribes in resisting the progress 
of our settlements to the westward. Had such a man 
opposed the European colonists on their first arrival, 
this continent might still have been a wilderness. 
Tecumseh fell respected by his enemies as a great 
and magnanimous chief. Although he seldom took 
prisoners in battle, he was merciful to those who had 
been taken by others ; and, at the defeat of Dudley, 
actually put to death a chief whom he found engaged 
in the work of massacre. He had been in almost 
every engagement with the whites since Harmer's 
defeat in 1791, although at his death he scarcely ex- 
ceeded forty years of age. Tecumseh had received 
the stamp of greatness from the hand of nature ; 
and had his lot been cast in a different state of soci- 
ety, he would have shone as one of the most dis- 
tinguished of men. He was endowed with a powerful 
mind, and with the soul of a hero. There was an 
uncommon dignity in his countenance and manners : 
by the former he could easily be discovered, even 
after death, among the rest of the slain, for he wore 
no insignia of distinction. When girded with a silk 
sash, and told by General Proctor that he was made 
a brigadier-general in the British service for his 
conduct at Brownstown and Magagua, he refused 
the title. Born without title to command, such was 
his native greatness, that every tribe yielded submis- 
sion to him at once, and no one ever disputed his 
precedence. Subtle and fierce in war, he was pos- 



296 The Army [no. 94 

sessed of uncommon eloquence. Invective was his 
chief merit, as we had frequent occasion to experi- 
ence. He gave a remarkable instance of its power 
in the reproaches which he applied to General Proctor, 
in a speech delivered a few days before his death ; a 
copy of which was found among the papers of the 
British officers. His form was uncommonly elegant. 
His stature was about six feet, and his limbs were 
perfectly proportioned. 

In this engagement, the British loss was nineteen 
regulars killed, fifty wounded, and about six hundred 
taken prisoners. The Indians left one hundred and 
twenty on the field. The American loss, in killed 
and wounded, amounted to upwards of fifty. Several 
pieces of brass cannon, the trophies of our Revolu- 
tion, and which had been surrendered by Hull at 
Detroit, were once more restored to our country. 
General Proctor had basely deserted his troops as 
soon as the charge was made ; and though hotly 
pursued, was enabled, by means of swift horses and 
his knowledge of the country, to escape down the 
Thames. His carriage with his private papers, how- 
ever, was taken. 



94. Campaigning on the Niagara 

By Captain Samuel White (1814) 

Ini8i4the Before day-break on the morning of the fifth, it 

governor of ^^^g ascertained that the Colonel to whom orders 

IVnnsyl- i i i 

vaniaor- had becu sent by General Porter to supply the troops 
dered out a with three days' provisions, had neglected that neces- 

portion of . , , , 

sary precaution ; the consequence was, that a boat 



No. 94] Niagara Campaign 297 



had to be despatched to Buffalo with an order for 
provisions, which, however, did not reach us until 
about two o'clock in the day, when we were supplied 
with a couple of biscuits each, being the first which 
a majority of us had eaten that day. At four o'clock 
we came in view of the encampment of our regular 
troops, and halted. We had not been many minutes 
at rest before a requisition was made for volunteers 
to turn out and drive off the hostile Indians who had 
been firing on our pickets. Fatigued as we were, 
having traveled that day about eighteen miles with- 
out rations, it is not surprising that not much alac- 
rity was shown by the men to become of the party. 
Lieutenant Gilleland, Ensign Graff, the surgeon of 
the volunteers, and myself, laid aside our swords, and 
borrowing rifles, volunteered as privates; about three 
hundred of the volunteers of our own regiment also 
came forward, and these were strengthened by sev- 
eral hundred Indians, the whole under the command 
of General Porter, Colonel Bull, and Major Galloway. 
I had eaten nothing except one biscuit from the time 
I had my dinner the day before at Buffalo, and had 
even given away the balance of my store, expecting 
to get a good supper that evening ; but I was doomed 
to be mistaken. 

Orders were issued that every white man who went 
out under General Porter should leave his hat, and go 
uncovered. The Indians tied up their heads with 
pieces of white muslin, and it was really diverting to 
see them making their preparations for battle. After 
having tied up their heads, which process must have 
consumed at least fifty yards of fine muslin, they 
painted their faces, making red streaks above their 
eyes and foreheads ; they then went to old logs and 



the state 
militia to re- 
pel the inva- 
sion of the 
Brilislion the 
northern 
frontier. 
White was a 
captain of 
militia in 
Adams 
County, and 
arrived at 
Buffalo in 
time for the 
Niagara 
campaign, 
but was 
taken captive 
during 
the battle of 
Chippewa 
here de- 
scribed. 



298 The Army [no. 94 

burnt stumps, and spitting upon their hands, rubbed 
them upon the burnt part, until they were perfectly 
black, when they drew their fingers down their 
cheeks, leaving large black streaks ; after this prep- 
aration they were ready for action or march. We 
proceeded in single file through a lane to our left, 
and in the course of half an hour came in contact 
with the enemy, who were posted in the woods on 
our right, and completely concealed from our obser- 
vation. Immediately upon our entering a long nar- 
row path, they opened upon us with a pretty brisk 
fire ; we faced to the right, and pressing forward, 
put them to rout. They continued their flight and 
we pursued them, keeping up a smart fire, which, 
from the manner of the position, did considerable 
damage, until they drew us into rather a perilous 
situation. 

The whole British army had crossed the bridge at 
Chippewa, and drawn up their forces under cover of 
a piece of woods, near the Niagara River, and run- 
ning parallel with the Chippewa Creek, directly across 
the creek, where the British batteries commanded the 
same position. Driving the Indians rapidly through 
the woods, we at length came in full contact with the 
British regular line, which, in conjunction with the 
batteries, opened a most tremendous fire. From 
the clouds of dust and heavy firing, General Brown 
concluded that the entire force of the British was 
in motion, and gave orders to General Scott to 
advance with his brigade and Towson's artillery, 
and. meet the enemy on the plain in front of the 
American camp. In a few minutes Scott was in 
close action with a far superior force of regulars. 
Major Jessup, commanding the battalion on the 



No. 94] Niagara Campaig7t 299 

left flank, finding himself pressed both in front and 
rear, and his men falling fast, ordered his battal- 
ion to support arms and advance, which bold 
order, in the midst of the enemy's hottest fire, was 
obeyed with a promptness which did them honour. 
Having advanced within twenty paces of the enemy's 
line, they were ordered to level and fire, causing such 
havoc in the enemy's line as forced them to retreat. 
About this time also one of our hot shot fell into the 
enemy's magazine and blew it up. This occurrence 
silenced their artillery ; the whole British force fell 
back, and being closely pressed by the American 
troops, retreated in confusion to their entrenchment, 
about a quarter of a mile distant. General Brown 
immediately ordered the ordnance to be brought up 
with the intention of forcing the works, but upon 
more mature reflection, and by the advice of his 
officers, he was induced to order the forces back 
to camp. 

In this engagement, which resulted so disastrously 
to the British, a considerable portion of the army, 
though burning for the conflict, had not an oppor- 
tunity of coming into action. The conquerors of the 
veterans of France, were, in fact, defeated by a de- 
tachment from the American army. The only troops 
engaged on the part of General Brown, were Scott's 
brigade, and the Pennsylvania volunteers, commanded 
by Porter. The conduct of these men was heroic 
in the extreme : wherever they directed their fire or 
pointed their bayonets, the boasted " conquerors of 
the peninsula " fell or fled ; the volunteers, in par- 
ticular, manifested all the coolness and bravery of 
regular troops. Such was the punishment they re- 
ceived in this engagement, that, although battle was 



300 The Army [no. 95 

offered them again on their own terms, they shrunk 
from its acceptance. 

The loss of the enemy was nearly six hundred 
killed, as was ascertained some time afterwards, 
although they were never willing to acknowledge it 
so great ; they removed, however, off the field, nearly 
five hundred wounded men before their retreat, and 
the loss in the woods of the Canadian militia, by our 
scouting party, was upwards of eighty killed. It was 
not known how many Indians fell, but their loss must 
have been very great. When our scouting party re- 
turned, there were but twenty men missing, five of 
of that number were prisoners, four whites and one 
Indian. 



95. The American Flag 

By Joseph Rodman Drake (i8i8) 

When Freedom from her mountain height, 
Unfurl'd her standard to the air. 
She tore the azure robe of night. 
And set the stars of glory there ! 
She mingled with its gorgeous dyes 
The milky baldric of the skies. 
And striped its pure, celestial white 
With streakings of the morning light ; 
Then from his mansion in the sun. 
She call'd her eagle bearer down. 
And gave into his mighty hand 
The symbol of her chosen land. 

Majestic monarch of the cloud ! 
Who rear'st aloft thy regal form, 



No. 95] T/ie American Flag 301 

To hear the tempest trumping loud, 
And see the lightning-lances driven; 
When stride the warriors of the storm, 
And rolls the thunder-drum of heaven ! 
Child of the sun ! to thee 'tis given 




WHERE THE FIRST AMERICAN FLAG WAS iMADE. 



To guard the banner of the free, 
To hover in the sulphur smoke, 
To ward away the battle stroke, 
And bid its blendings shine afar, 
Like rainbows on the cloud of war, 
The harbingers of victory. 



302 T/ie Army [no. 95 

Flag of the brave ! Thy folds shall fly, 
The sign of hope and triumph high ! 
When speaks the signal trumpet tone, 
And the long line comes gleaming on, 
(Ere yet the life-blood, warm and wet, 
Has dimm'd the glistening bayonet,) 
Each soldier's eye shall brightly turn. 
To where thy meteor glories burn, 
And, as his springing steps advance, 
Catch war and vengeance from the glance ! 
And when the cannon-mouthings loud, 
Heave in wild wreaths the battle-shroud. 
And gory sabres rise and fall, 
Like shoots of flame on midnight pall, — 
There shall thy victor glances glow. 
And cowering foes shall sink beneath 
Each gallant arm that strikes below 
That lovely messenger of death ! 

Flag of the seas ! on ocean's wave. 
Thy stars shall glitter o'er the brave, 
When death, careering on the gale, . 
Sleeps darkly round the bellied sail, 
And frighted waves rush wildly back 
Before the broadside's reeling rack, — 
The dying wanderer of the sea 
Shall look, at once, to heaven and thee. 
And smile to see thy splendors fly. 
In triumph o'er his closing eye. 

Flag of the free heart's only home ! 
By angel hands to valor given, — 
Thy stars have lit the welkin dome. 
And all thy hues were born in heaven ! 



No. 96] Under Fire 303 

For ever float that standard sheet ! 
Where breathes the foe that stands before us 
With Freedom's soil beneath our feet, 
And Freedom's banner streaming o'er us ! 



96. A Hot Fight in front of the 
American Lines 

By John Henry Cooke (1814) 

We had run the gauntlet, from the left to the centre 
in front of the American lines, under a cross fire, in 
hopes of joining in the assault, and had a fine view of 
the sparkling of the musketry, and the liquid flashes 
from the cannon. Melancholy to relate, all at once 
many soldiers were met wildly rushing out of the 
dense clouds of smoke lighted up by a sparkling sheet 
of fire, which hovered over the ensanguined field. 
Regiments were shattered, broke, and dispersed, all 
order was at an end. The dismal spectacle was seen 
of the dark shadows of men, like skirmishers, break- 
ing out of the clouds of smoke, which slowly and 
majestically rolled along the even surface of the field. 
So astonished was I at such a panic, that I said to 
a retiring soldier, " Have we or the Americans at- 
tacked } " for I had never seen troops in such a hurry 
without being followed. " No," replied the man, with 
the countenance of despair and out of breath, as he 
run along, "we attacked, Sir." For still the rever- 
beration was so intense towards the great wood, that 
any one would have thought the great fighting was 
going on there instead of immediately in front. 



304 The Army [no. 96 

Lieutenant Duncan Campbell, of our regiment, was 
seen to our left running about in circles, first stag- 
gering one way, then another, and at length fell help- 
lessly upon his face on the sod. While being borne 
insensible to the rear, he still clutched the hilt of his 
sword with a convulsive grasp, the blade of which 
was broken off close at the hilt with grape-shot. He 
lived only a few days. 

The first officer we met was Lieutenant-colonel 
Stovin, of the staff, who was unhorsed, without his 
hat, and bleeding down the left side of his face. He 
at first thought that the two hundred men were the 
whole regiment, and he said, " Forty-third, you men 
must save the day ! " Lieutenant-colonel Smith, of 
the rifles and one of Packenham's staff, then rode up 
at full gallop from the right, and said to me, " Did 
you ever see such a scene .'' There is nothing left 
but the Seventh and Forty-third ! Just draw up here 
for a few minutes to show front that the repulsed 
troops may re-form." The chances now were, as the 
greater portion of the actually attacking corps were 
stricken down, and the remainder dispersed, that the 
Americans would become the assailants. The ill-fated 
rocket was discharged before the British troops moved 
on ; the consequence was, that every American gun 
was warned by such a silly signal to be laid on the 
parapets ready to be discharged with the fullest effects. 

The misty field of battle was now inundated with 
wounded officers and soldiers who were going to the 
rear from the right, left, and centre ; in fact, little 
more than one thousand soldiers were left unscathed 
out of the three thousand that attacked the American 
lines, and they fell like the very blades of grass be- 
neath the scythe of the mower. Packenham was killed. 



No. 96] Under Fire 305 

Gibbs was mortally wounded, and his brigade dis- 
persed like the dust before the whirlwind, and Keane 
was wounded. The command of His Majesty's forces 
at this critical juncture now fell to Major-general Lam- 
bert, the only general left, who was in reserve with 
his fine brigade. 

For five hours the enemy plied us with grape and 
round shot ; some of the wounded lying in the mud 
or on the wet grass, managed to crawl away ; but 
every now and then some unfortunate man was lifted 
off the ground by round shot, and lay killed or man- 
gled. During the tedious hours we remained in front, 
it was necessary to lie on the ground, to cover our- 




A FLINT LOCK OF l8l2. 

selves from the projectiles. An officer of our regi- 
ment was in reclining posture, when grape-shot passed 
through both his knees ; at first he sank back faintly, 
but at length opening his eyes and looking at his 
wounds, he said, " Carry me away, I am chilled to 
death." As he was hoisted on the men's shoulders, 
more round and grape-shot passed his head ; taking 
off his cap, he waved it ; and after many narrow es- 
capes got out of range, suffered amputation of both 
legs, but died of his wounds on board ship, after en- 
during all the pain of the surgical operation, and pass- 
ing down the lake in an open boat. 

A tree, about two feet in diameter and fifteen in 
height, with a few scattered branches at the top, was 
the only object to break the monotonous scene. This 

X 



2o6 The Army [no. 97 

tree was near the right of our regiment : the Ameri- 
cans, seeing some persons clustering around it, fired 
a thirty-two pound shot, which struck the tree exactly 
in the centre, and buried itself in the trunk with a 
loud concussion. Curiosity prompted some of us to 
take a hasty inspection of it, and I could clearly see 
the rusty ball within the tree. I thrust my arm in a 
little above the elbow-joint, and laid hold of it ; it was 
truly amusing between the intervals of firing the can- 
non, to witness the risks continually run by the offi- 
cers to take a peep at this shot. Owing to this 
circumstance, the vicinity of the tree became rather a 
hot birth ; but the American gunners failed to hit it a 
second time, although some balls passed very near on 
each side, and for about an hour it was a source of 
excessive jocularity to us. In the middle of the day 
a flag of truce was sent by General Lambert to Gen- 
eral Jackson, to be allowed to bury the dead, which 
was acceded to by the latter on certain conditions. 



97. Canadian Camps and Battles 

By Elias Darnall (1812) 

The weather is excessively cold; the ice has 

stopped the navigation of the river, so that the plan 

of going to the Rapids by water is entirely frustrated; 

we had prepared about sixty pirogues for the voyage, 

which will be left here for our successors. 

I'irogues The General has ordered the commandants of 

wofc"ralfoes ^"^gi^ients to cause each company to be provided 

hollowed with a sufficient number of sleds to convey their 

from the baggage to the Rapids. It is said these sleds are 



No. 97] In Canada 307 

to be pulled by the men, as we have not a horse trunk ofa 
in camp able to pull an empty sled. A little flour ^^^*^- ^'^^y 

. . were later 

came to camp once more, to-day, quarter-rations of developed 
that article were issued, which was welcomed by re- 'nioasort 
joicing throughout the camp. Two days later Cap- tomed ferry- 
tain Hickman returned with joyful news — that we boat, as 
should in a short time be supplied with flour. The "^''this""'''^ 
deficiency in this article had produced serious conse- selection. 
quences in the army. We have here been exposed 
to numberless difficulties, as well as deprived of the 
common necessities of life ; and what made these 
things operate more severely was, all hopes of obtain- 
ing any conquest was entirely abandoned. Obstacles 
had emerged in the path to victory, which must have 
appeared unsurmountable to every person endowed 
with common sense. The distance to Canada, the 
unpreparedness of the army, the scarcity of pro- 
visions, and the badness of the weather, show that 
Maiden cannot be taken in the remaining part of 
our time. And would it not have been better if this 
army had been disbanded t Our sufferings at this 
place have been greater than if we had been in a 
severe battle. More than one hundred lives have 
been lost owing to our bad accommodations ! The 
sufferings of about three hundred sick at a time, who 
are exposed to the cold ground and deprived of 
every nourishment, are sufficient proofs of our 
wretched condition. The camp had become a loath- 
some place. The hope of being one day relieved 
from these unnecessary sufferings affords some relief. 
We received this evening a supply of flour, and 
have been delivered from a state of starvation. It 
being Christmas eve, just after dark a number of 
guns were fired in quick succession ; the whole army 



3o8 The Arffiy [no. 97 

was ordered to parade in order of battle; strict orders 
were given to suppress the firing. About an hour 
before day the firing commenced again ; the army 
was again paraded and strict orders given, threaten- 
ing to punish the offenders. 

We are now about commencing one of the most 
serious marches ever performed by the Americans, 
destitute in a measure of clothes, shoes, and pro- 
visions, — the most essential articles necessary for 
the existence and preservation of the human species 
in this world, and more particularly in this climate. 
Three sleds are prepared for each company, each to 
be pulled by a pack-horse, which has been without 
food for two weeks, except brush, and will not be 
better fed while in our service. Probably the most 
of these horses never had harness on, but the pre- 
sumption is they will be too tame ; we have, however, 
prepared harness out of green hides. 

After nearly three months' preparation for this ex- 
pedition, we commenced our march in great splendor; 
our elegant equipage cast a brilliant lustre on the 
surrounding objects as it passed! Our clothes and 
blankets looked as if they had never been acquainted 
with water, but intimately with dirt, soot and smoke ; 
in fact, we have become acquainted with one much 
despised in Kentucky, under whose government we 
are obliged to live, whose name is " Poverty." We 
marched six miles and encamped near Colonel's 
regiment, which marched yesterday ; the sick were 
left at No. Three, with a company from each regi- 
ment as a guard. 

We started early, in order to get there before 
Colonel Elliott ; after travelHng fifteen miles, mostly 
on ice, we received information of the enemy being 



No. 97] In Canada 309 

there waiting for us ; we were then within three miles 
of Frenchtown ; we proceeded with no other view 
than to conquer or die. When we advanced in sight 
of the town and were about a quarter of a mile from 
it, the British saluted us by firing a piece of cannon; 
they fired it three times, but no injury was sustained. 
During this time we formed the line of battle, and 
raising a shout, advanced on them briskly ; they soon 
commenced the firing of their small arms ; but this 
did not deter us from a charge. We advanced close 
and let loose on them. They gave way, and we soon 
had possession of a village without the loss of a man. 
Three were slightly wounded. Twelve of their pris- 
oners were scalped and one prisoner taken before 
they got to the woods. In retreating they kept up 
some firing. 

We pursued them half a mile to the woods, which 
were brushy and suited to their mode of fighting. As 
we advanced, they were fixing themselves behind 
logs and trees to the best advantage. Our troops 
rushed on them resolutely and gave them Indian 
play, took advantage of trees, and kept them retreat- 
ing a mile and a half in the woods. During this 
time a heavy fire was kept up on both sides. At 
length, after a battle of three hours and five minutes, 
we were obliged to stop the pursuit on account of the 
approach of night, and retire to the village. We 
collected our wounded and carried them to the vil- 
lage, leaving" our dead on the ground. In this action 
the Kentuckians displayed great bravery, after being 
much fatigued with marching on the ice. 

The next morning a party was. sent to the battle- 
ground to bring in the dead, which were found 
scalped and stripped. In going over the battle- 



3 I o The Army [no. 98 

ground great signs were seen (by the blood and 
where they had been dragged through the snow) of 
a considerable loss on the part of the enemy. Two 
of the wounded died. The British left a considera- 
ble quantity of provisions and some store goods, 
which answered us a valuable purpose. 



98. Tall Americans 

By Winfield Scott (1812) 

Two bearers of flags of truce had been despatched 
to the British commander, but there was no return 
and no cessation of hostilities. It was concluded 
that they had been killed or captured by the Indians. 
Captains Totten and Gibson each volunteered to 
make a third attempt, but as bearing a flag had 
become a forlorn service, Lieutenant-Colonel Scott 
assumed the duty to himself, and took with him his 
gallant comrades, Totten and Gibson. Being uncom- 
monly tall and in a splendid uniform, it was thought 
he had the best chance of being respected by the 
savages, who were under but little control. The 
party had to pass down, along the margin of the 
river some hundreds of yards, to find an easy ascent. 
Several shots had been fired at them, before they 
turned up to the left, when two Indians, after firing, 
sprang from a covert and seized the party. A deadly 
combat impended ; but a detachment of regulars, 
headed by an officer, rushed to the rescue, and con- 
ducted the flag to the British commander, General 
Sheaffe. His first and second attempts to stop the 



No. 98] Tall Ame^Hcans 311 

Indian fire on the American under the precipice 
proved unsuccessful, and Lieutenant-Colonel Scott 
demanded to be escorted back to his countrymen, 
that he might share their fate. He was prevailed 
upon to wait another trial, which succeeding, a formal 
surrender was made on terms honorable to all par- 
ties, and the prisoners were put in march for the 
village of Newark (since Niagara), at the mouth of 
the river. 

On reaching the village of Newark, the American 
officers were lodged in a small inn after being di- 
vested of their swords, which were temporarily- 
stacked under the staircase in the entry. A strong 
guard was at hand, and sentries were posted. In a 
few minutes a servant said that there were persons at 
the front door who desired to see the tall Americans. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Scott, passing through several 
doors, found, on reaching the entry, that his visitors 
were the same two Indians met by him some hours 
before when bearing the flag of truce. Captain 
Jacobs, one of them, a man of uncommon stature and 
power, speaking but little English, was interpreted 
by his companion. 

The professed object of the Indians was to see if 
they had not in the several combats of the day hit 
the prisoner before them — each alleging that he had 
deliberately fired at him three or four times from no 
great distance. Their design, however, was no doubt 
sinister. All the surviving Indians were exceedingly 
exasperated at the severe loss their tribes had just 
sustained. Jacobs, accordingly to begin the fray, 
seized the prisoner rudely by the arm and attempted 
to turn him round to examine his back. The savage 
was indignantly thrown against the wall, when both 



312 The Army [no. 98 

assailants, placing their hands on their knives and 
hatchets, exclaimed: "We kill you now!" It was 
an awful moment for the assailed. There was no 
witness or help at hand. The sentinel near the door 
who had improperly admitted the Indians, was not in 
view, and perhaps indifferent as to consequences. 
God and his own stout heart must save the American 
from instant butchery. 

With one mighty spring he seized the hilt of a 
sword with an iron scabbard (easily drawn), then 
springing back he faced the enemy and occupied the 
narrow space between the staircase and the opposite 
wall, but far enough advanced to allow a free use of 
his sword over the depressed balustrade. In this 
strong position he could not be attacked by two 
assailants at once, and he was sure to fell the fore- 
most, though he might be assassinated by the second 
before he could recover his sword. 

At this critical moment — the parties standing at 
bay, but in act to strike — Captain Cofhn, nephew 
and aide-de-camp of General Sheaffe, entered to con- 
duct some of the prisoners to the general's quarters, 
where they were invited to dine. The scene spoke 
for itself. The captain instantly seized Jacobs by 
the collar with one hand, holding a cocked pistol in 
the other. The gallant aide-de-camp had just time 
to call out " The guard ! " when a sergeant and squad 
rushed in and marched off the savages as prisoners. 
It required a strong escort to conduct the dinner 
guests in safety to and from the general's quarters, 
for the village swarmed with exasperated Indians. 



No. 99] Adams and liberty 313 
99. Adams and Liberty 

By Robert Treat Paine (1829) 

Ye sons of Columbia, who bravely have fought 

For those rights, which unstained from your sires 
had descended. 
May you long taste the blessings your valor has 
bought, 
And your sons reap the soil which their fathers 
defended. 

'Mid the reign of mild peace, 
May your nation increase. 
With the glory of Rome, and the wisdom of Greece ; 
And ne'er shall the sons of Columbia be slaves. 
While the earth bears a plant, or the sea rolls its 
waves. 

In a clime, whose rich vales feed the marts of the 
world, 
Whose shores are unshaken by Europe's commo- 
tion, 
The trident of commerce should never be hurl'd, 
To incense the legitimate powers of the ocean. 
But should pirates invade. 
Though in thunder array'd, 
Let your cannon declare the free charter of trade. 
For ne'er shall the sons, &c. 

The fame of our arms, of our laws the mild sway, 
Had justly ennobled our nation in story, 

Till the dark clouds of faction obscured our young 
day, 
And enveloped the sun of American glory. 



314 The Army [no. 99 

But let traitors be told, 
Who their country have sold, 
And barter'd their God for his image in gold. 
That ne'er will the sons, &c. 



'Tis the fire of the flint, each American warms, 

Let Rome's haughty victors beware of collision. 
Let them bring all the vassals of Europe in arms, 
We're a world by ourselves, and disdain a division. 
While with patriot pride. 
To our laws we're allied. 
No foe can subdue us, no faction divide, 
For ne'er shall the sons, &c. 



Our mountains are crown'd with imperial oak; 

Whose roots, like our liberties, ages have nourish'd ; 
But long e'er our nation submits to the yoke. 

Not a tree shall be left on the field where it 
flourished. 

Should invasion impend. 
Every grove would descend, 
From the hill-tops, they shaded, our shores to de- 
fend. 

For ne'er shall the sons, &c. 

Let our patriots destroy Anarch's pestilent worm ; 
Lest our liberty's growth should be check'd by 
corrosion ; 
Then let clouds thicken round us ; we heed not the 
storm ; 
Our realms fear no shock, but the earth's own 
explosion. 



No. 99] Adams and Liberty 315 

Foes assail us in vain, 
Though their fleets bridge the main, 
For our altars and laws with our lives we'll main- 
tain. 

For ne'er shall the sons, &c. 

Should the tempest of war overshadow our land, 
Its bolts could ne'er rend freedom's temple asun- 
der ; 
For, unmoved, at its portal, would Washington 
stand. 
And repulse, with his breast, the assaults of the 
thunder ! 

His sword from the sleep 
Of its scabbard would leap, 
And conduct, with its point, every flash to the deep ! 
For ne'er shall the sons, &c. 

Let fame to the world sound America's voice ; 

No intrigues can her sons from their governments 
sever ; 
Her pride is her Adams; her laws are his choice. 
And shall flourish, till liberty slumbers for ever. 
Then unite heart and hand. 
Like Leonidas' band. 
And swear to the God of the ocean and land. 
That ne'er shall the sons of Columbia be slaves. 
While the earth bears a plant, or the sea rolls its 
waves. 



PART VIII 

AT SCHOOL 



loo. An Ambassador's Letters to 
his Daughters 

By Thomas Jefferson and Martha Jefferson (1785-87) 

My dear Polly — I have not received a letter 
from you since I came to France. If you knew 
how much I love you and what pleasure the receipt 
of your letters gave me at Philadelphia, you would 
have written to me, or at least have told your aunt 
what to write, and her goodness would have induced 
her to take the trouble of writing it. I wish so much 
to see you, that I have desired your uncle and aunt 
to send you to me. I know, my dear Polly, how 
sorry you will be, and ought to be, to leave them and 
your cousins ; but your sister and myself can not live 
without you, and after a while we will carry you back 
again to see your friends in Virginia. In the mean 
time you shall be taught here to play on the harpsi- 
chord, to draw, to dance, to read and talk French, 
and such other things as will make you more worthy 
of the love of your friends ; but above all things, by 
our care and love of you, we will teach you to love us 
more than you will do if you stay so far from us. 

317 



From 
Thomas 
Jefferson, 
envoy of the 
United States 
to France, 
to his 
daughter 
Mary who 
was in 
America. 



3i8 



At School 



[No. loo 



I have had no opportunity since Colonel Le 
Maire went, to send you any thing ; but when you 
come here you shall have as many dolls and play- 
things as you want for yourself, or to send to your 
cousins whenever you shall have opportunities. I 
hope you are a very good girl, that you love your 
uncle and aunt very much, and are very thankful to 
them for all their goodness to you ; that you never 
suffer yourself to be angry with anybody, that you 




- "''" •"" -f., i?/ 






MONTICELLO. 



give your playthings to those who want them, that 
you do whatever anybody desires of you that is right, 
that you never tell stories, never beg for any thing, 
mind your books and your work when your aunt tells 
you, never play but when she permits you, nor go 
where she forbids you ; remember, too, as a constant 
charge, not to go out without your bonnet, because it 
will make you very ugly, and then we shall not love 
you so much. If you always practice these lessons 
we shall continue to love you as we do now, and it is 



No. loo] Polly ycffe?^son 



319 



impossible to love you any more. We shall hope to 
have you with us next summer, to find you a very 
good girl, and to assure you of the truth of our 
affection for you. Adieu, my dear child. Yours 
affectionately, 

Th. Jefferson. 

Dear Papa — I long to see you, and hope that From Mary 
vou and sister Patsy are well ; give my love to her J^^^^rson 

-' ■' ' b J to her father. 

and tell her that I long to see her, and hope that you 
and she will come very soon to see us. I hope that 
you will send me a doll. I am very sorry that you 
have sent for me. I don't want to go to France, I 
had rather stay with Aunt Eppes. Aunt Carr, Aunt 
Nancy and Cousin Polly Carr are here. Your most 
happy and dutiful daughter, 

Polly Jefferson. 

Being disappointed in my expectation of receiving From 
a letter from my dear papa, I have resolved to break Martha 

. .,.,,.. , , Jefferson, 

so pamrul a silence by givmg you an example that 1 ",hen in a 
hope you will follow, particularly as you know how Convent 
much pleasure your letters give me. I hope your 
wrist is better, and I am inclined to think that your 
voyage is rather for your pleasure than your health ; 
however, I hope it will answer both purposes. I will 
now tell you how I go on with my masters. I have 
begun a beautiful tune, done a very pretty landscape 
— a little man playing on the violin — and begun an- 
other beautiful landscape. I go on slowly with my 
Livy, it being in such ancient Italian that I can not 
read without my master, and very little with him 
even. As for the dancing-master, I intend to leave 
him off as soon as my month is finished. Tell me if 
vou are still determined that I shall dine at the 



3 2 o At School [No. loo 

abbess's table. If you are, I shall at the end of my 
quarter. Adieu, my dear papa. I am afraid you 
will not be able to read my scrawl, but I have not 
the time of copying it over again ; and therefore I 
must beg your indulgence, and assure you of the ten- 
der affection of yours, 

M. Jefferson. 
Pray write often, and long letters. 

My dear Papa — Though the knowledge of your 
health gave me the greatest pleasure, yet I own I 
was not a little disappointed in not receiving a let- 
ter from you. However, I console myself with the 
thought of having one very soon, as you promised to 
write to me every week. Until now you have not 
kept your word the least in the world, but I hope you 
will make up for your silence by writing me a fine, 
long letter by the first opportunity. Titus Livius 
puts me out of my wits. I can not read a word by 
myself, and I read of it very seldom with my master ; 
however, I hope I shall soon be able to take it up 
again. All my other masters go on much the same — 
perhaps better. Every body here is very well, par- 
ticularly Madame L'Abbesse, who has visited almost 
a quarter of the new building — a thing that she has 
not done for two or three years before now. I have 
not heard anything of my harpsichord, and I am 
afraid it will not come before your arrival. I go on 
pretty well with Thucydides, and I hope I shall very 
soon finish it. I expect Mr. Short every instant for 
my letter, therefore I must leave you. Adieu, my 
dear papa ; be assured you are never a moment absent 
from my thoughts, and believe me to be, your most 
affectionate child, 

M. Jefferson. 



No. loi] 



L 



ove 



Feast 



32 



10 1. The Children's Love Feast 

By Colonel John May (1788) 

Sunday, 17th. Rose this morning at 3 o'clock, and 
went fourteen miles to breakfast at Bethlehem. We 
were received by the brotherhood in the most hospi- 
table manner, especially by Mr. Heckewelder, who 
was for several years a missionary amongst the Mora- 
vian Indians. He paid particular attention to us and 
invited us to go to meeting with him. I accordingly 
went with him. To give a just description of this 
beautiful and agreeable day is far beyond my ability. 
When I entered the hall where they were worship- 
ing, it struck me with a pleasing amazement to be- 
hold at one view upward of sixty little beautiful girls, 
seated in regular order, — all clad in white muslin or 
cambric, each with red ribbon in a large bow round 
her neck, with snug close caps ; and also as many of 
an older order, and other two classes older still, — all 
in white, and all chanting their Maker's praise to the 
music of an elegant organ. I was all ear, all atten- 
tion. I could compare such worship to nothing else 
but the worship of the kingdom of heaven ; — they 
appeared to me like the saints, just disburdened 
from earth, arrayed in their white robes praising the 
Author of Goodness. 

I went to my lodgings at noon, in raptures. It 
was not long before we had a formal invitation to 
attend the love-feast in the afternoon, which was 
gladly accepted. I was punctual to the time, which 
was two o'clock. The observance of a feast of this 
sort is a privilege the young misses have every 1 7th 
of August. It happened this year on Sunday., The 



The Mora- 



opmions. 
About 1722 
a band of 
Moravians 
came to 
America, 
many of 
them settling 
in the Colony 
of Pennsyl- 
vania. They 
devoted 
much atten- 
tion to Chris- 
tianizing the 
Indians. 



322 



At School 



[No. 102 



little ones were more numerous this afternoon than 
in the forenoon, and excelled in beauty all that even 
a glowing imagination could suggest. After they 
had chanted their hymns for about an hour, the great 
doors were swung open, and three pairs of maiden 
ladies appeared, each pair bringing between them a 
basket filled with large cakes, which they handed 
round to each miss and elderly lady. Soon after, two 
of the brothers came in, and in like manner handed 
the. cakes to the gentlemen, and then withdrawing. 
In a short time, all returned with salvers of exxellent 
coffee, and handed it round. This ceremony over, 
they sung again ; and then there was an anthem, 
which rolled off finely, and the assembly broke up. 
I was then introduced to the governess, a very polite 
and agreeable lady, who waited on us to all the dif- 
ferent apartments. I was extremely pleased with 
the order and regularity of the place, and having 
seen about all that was to be seen, returned to my 
lodffino-s. 



1 02. Address to the Children of 
the North Schools, Boston 

By Jeremy Belknap (1780) 

Dear Child^", — Your present age is the most 
proper season to begin those improvements w" are to 
last through your whole lives. The spring of y** year 
is the time for sowing seed ; and youth is the time 
for sowing y*^ seeds of knowledge & virtue in the 
human mind. But you must remember that the 
growth of seed depends on the quality & disposition 
of the ground as much as on the skill & dilio-ence of 



No. I02] Address to the Children 323 

the person who sows it ; so the cultivation of your 
minds depends as much on y^'selvs as on y'' instructors. 
They may teach, but you must learn. They may 
take great pains to instruct you, but unless you dili- 
gently take heed to their instructions, & fix what they 
tell you in y'' own minds, all their teaching will profit 
you nothing. You see then that much of your im- 
provement depends on y*" own diligence, & it is best 
that you should early form a habit of attention & not 
suffer yourselves to be unconcerned & thoughtless. 
Though it is proper that you should be allowed time 
for diversion, yet you must not make a business of 
y"" diversion, but only use it as a refreshment to 
relieve you from the fatigue of study, that you may 
go to it again with new relish & spirit. And believe 
me, whoever does not enter upon his studies with 
spirit will never make any figure as a scholar. 

Another thing which I would recommend to you 
is, to govern yourselves ; that is, to take such care of 
your own conduct as that your schoolmaster may be 
relieved of the trouble of governing you. It is the 
duty of every person to govern himself ; and we 
cannot begin too early in life to practise this neces- 
sary duty. You should therefore learn to restrain 
your passions, to curb your tongue, to avoid all occa- 
sions of quarrelHng, & to preserve a decent, sober, & 
attentive behaviour at school. This will gain the 
love of your master & enable him the more easily to 
carry on the work w''' is committed to him. If every 
scholar would learn to govern himself, there would 
be no need of correction or expulsion, the ferule & 
cowskin would be thrown by, & the whole business 
of the school would be confined to instruction & 
learnins:. 



324 ^^ School [No. 103 

And let me add, this is now become a matter of 
necessity ; for by the new regulations w''^' have been 
introduced into the schools, you see that the number 
of scholars is increased, & the duty of the masters 
is increased with it. Let it therefore be your care as 
much as possible to lighten their burden with respect 
to government, & you will reap the benefit of it in 
having their time wholly devoted to the care of your 
learning. But there is a farther advantage to be 
gained by it ; for if you learn to govern yourselves 
while young, you will get such a good habit as will 
probably remain with you thro' life, & make you 
exemplary in all your conduct, so that you will live 
usefully in this world & be prepared for the enjoy- 
ment of God hereafter. 



103. The Indian at College 

By Philip Freneau (1795) 

From Susquehanna's farthest springs, 
Where savage tribes pursue their game, 
(His blanket tied with yellow strings,) 
A shepherd of the forest came. 

Not long before, a wandering priest 
Express'd his wish with visage sad — 
" Ah, why (he cried) in Satan's waste. 
Ah, why detain so fine a lad .'' 

" In white man's land there stands a town, 
Where learning may be purchased low — 
Exchange his blanket for a gown, 
And let the lad to collese go." 



College. 



No. 103] The Indian at College 325 

From long debate the council rose, 

And viewing Shalum's tricks with joy, 

To Cambridge Hall, o'er wastes of snows. Harvard 

They sent the copper-color'd boy. 

One generous chief a bow supplied. 
This gave a shaft, and that a skin ; 
The feathers, in vermilion dyed. 
Himself did from a turkey win : 

Thus dress'd so gay, he took his way 
O'er barren hills, alone, alone ! 
His guide a star, he wander' d far, 
His pillow every night a stone. 

At last he came, with foot so lame. 
Where learned men talk heathen Greek, 
And Hebrew lore is gabbled o'er, 
To please the muses, — twice a week. 

Awhile he writ, awhile he read, 
Awhile he conn'd their grammar rules — 
(An Indian savage so well bred 
Great credit promised to the schools.) 

Some thought he would in law excel. 
Some said in physic he would shine ; 
And one that knew him passing well, 
Beheld in him a sound divine. 

But those of more discerning eye, 
Even then could other prospects show, 
And saw him lay his Virgil by. 
To wander with his dearer bow. 



326 At School [No. 103 

The tedious hours of study spent, 
The heavy moulded lecture done, 
He to the woods a hunting went, 
Through lonely wastes he walk'd, he run. 

No mystic wonders fired his mind ; 
He sought to gain no learn'd degree, 
But only sense enough to find 
The squirrel in the hollow tree. 

The shady bank, the purling stream. 
The woody wild his heart possess'd. 
The dewy lawn, his morning dream 
In fancy's gayest colors drest. 

"And why," he cried, "did I forsake 
My native wood for gloomy walls; 
The silver stream, the limpid lake 
For musty books, and college halls .-' 

"A little could my wants supply — 
Can wealth and honor give me more ; 
Or, will the sylvan god deny 
The humble treat he gave before .'' 

" Where nature's ancient forests grow. 
And mingled laurel never fades. 
My heart is fix'd and I must go 
To die among my native shades." 

He spoke, and to the western springs, 
(His gown discharg'd, his money spent, 
His blanket tied with yellow strings,) 
The shepherd of the forest went. 



No. 104] Indian Manners 327 

104. The Table Manners of an 
Indian Boy 

By Isaac Weld (1796) 

But though the Indians, in general, appear so re- 
served in the presence of strangers, yet the firmness 
of their dispositions forbids them from ever appear- 
ing embarrassed ; they would sit down to table in a 
palace, before the first crowned head on the face of 
the earth, with as much unconcern as they would sit 
down to a frugal meal in one of their own cabins. 
They deem it highly becoming in a warrior to ac- 
commodate his manners to those of the people with 
whom he may happen to be, and as they are won- 
derfully observant, you will seldom perceive any thing 
of awkwardness or vulgarity in their behaviour in the 
company of strangers. I have seen an Indian, who 
had lived in the woods from his infancy, enter a 
drawing-room in Philadelphia, full of ladies, with as 
much ease and as much gentility as if he had always 
lived in the city, and merely from having been told, 
preparatory to his entering, the form usually observed 
on such occasions. But the following anecdote will 
put this matter in a stronger point of view. 

Our friend Nekig, the Little Otter, had been in- 
vited to dine with us at the house of a gentleman at 
Detroit, and he came accordingly, accompanied by 
his son, a little boy of about nine or ten years of age. 
After dinner a variety of fruits were served up, and 
amongst the rest some peaches, a dish of which was 
handed to the young Indian. He helped himself to 
one with becoming propriety; but immediately after- 



328 



At School [No. 104 



wards he put the fruit to his mouth, and bit a piece 
out of it. The father eyed him with indignation, 
and spoke some words to him in a low voice, which I 
could not understand, but which, on being interpreted 
by one of the company, proved to be a warm repri- 
mand for his having been so deficient in observation 
as not to peal his peach, as he saw the gentleman 
opposite to him had done. The little fellow was ex- 
tremely ashamed of himself ; but he quickly retrieved 
his error, by drawing a plate towards him, and pealing 
the fruit with the greatest neatness. 

Some port wine, which he was afterwards helped 
to, not being by any means agreeable to his palate, 
the little fellow made a wry face, as a child might 
naturally do, after drinking it. This called forth an- 
other reprimand from the father, who told him, that 
he despaired of ever seeing him a great man or a good 
warrior if he appeared then to dislike what his host 
had kindly helped him to. The boy drank the rest 
of his wine with seeming pleasure. 

No people are possessed of a greater share of nat- 
ural politeness than the Indians : they will never in- 
terrupt you whilst you are speaking ; nor, if you 
have told them any thing which they think to be 
false, will they bluntly contradict you ; " We dare 
say, brother," they will answer, "that you yourself 
believe what you tell us to be true ; but it appears 
to us so improbable that we cannot give our assent 
to it." 



No. 105] College Life in 18 20 329 
105. College Life in 1820 

By Andrew Preston Peahody (1820) 

The last sixty years can hardly have wrought 
greater changes, anywhere else than in Harvard Col- 
lege. In my time a student's room was remarkable 
chiefly for what it did not have. The feather-bed — 
mattresses not having come into general use — was 
regarded as a valuable chattel ; but ten dollars would 
have been a fair auction-price for all the other con- 
tents of an average room, which were a pine bedstead, 
washstand, table, and desk, a cheap rocking-chair, 
and from two to four other chairs of the plainest 
fashion, the bed furnishing seats when more were 
needed. I doubt whether any fellow-student of mine 
owned a carpet. A second-hand-furniture dealer had 
a few defaced and threadbare carpets, which he leased 
at an extravagant price to certain southern members 
of the senior class ; but even Southerners, though 
reputed to be fabulously rich, did not aspire to this 
luxury till the senior year. Coal was just coming 
into use, and had hardly found its way into college. 
The students' rooms — several of the recitation-rooms 
as well — were heated by open wood-fires. Almost 
every room had, too, among its transmittenda, a 
cannon-ball supposed to have been derived from the 
arsenal, which on very cold days was heated to a red 
heat, while at other seasons it was often utilized by 
being rolled down-stairs at such time as might most 
nearly bisect a proctor's night-sleep. Friction-matches 
— according to Faraday the most useful invention 
of our age — were not yet. Coals were carefully 
buried in ashes over night to start the morning fire ; 



3 3 o At School [No. 105 

while in summer, as I have elsewhere said, the even- 
ing lamp could be lighted only by the awkward, and 
often baffling, process of " striking fire " with flint, 
steel, and tinder-box. 

The student's life was hard. Morning prayers 
were in summer at six ; in winter, about half an hour 
before sunrise, in a bitterly cold chapel. Thence 
half of each class passed into the several recitation- 
rooms in the same building (University Hall), and 
three-quarters of an hour later the bell rang for a 
second set of recitations, including the remaining 
half of the students. Then came breakfast, which in 
the college commons consisted solely of coffee, hot 
rolls, and butter, except when the members of a mess 
had succeeded in pinning to the nether surface of the 
table, by a two-pronged fork, some slices of meat 
from the previous day's dinner. Between ten and 
twelve every student attended another recitation or a 
lecture. Dinner was at half-past twelve, — a meal 
not deficient in quantity, but by no means appetizing 
to those who had come from neat homes and well- 
ordered tables. There was another recitation in the 
afternoon, except on Saturday ; then evening prayers 
at six, or in winter at early twilight ; then the even- 
ing meal, plain as the breakfast, with tea instead of 
coffee, and cold bread, of the consistency of wool, for 
the hot rolls. After tea the dormitories rang with 
song and merriment till the study-bell, at eight in 
winter, at nine in summer, sounded the curfew for 
fun and frolic, proclaiming dead silence throughout 
the college premises, under penalty of a visit from 
the officer of the entry, and, in case of a serious 
offence, of private or public admonition. 

This was the life for five days of the week. On 



No. 105] College Life i?t 1820 331 

Sundays all the students were required to be in resi- 
dence here, not excepting even those whose homes 
were in Boston ; and all were required to attend 
worship twice each day at the college chapel. On 
Saturday alone was there permission to leave Cam- 
bridge, absence from town at any other time being a 
punishable offence. This weekly liberty was taken 
by almost every member of college, Boston being the 
universal resort ; thou£fh seldom otherwise than on 




HARVARD COLLEGE IN 182O. 



foot, the only public conveyance then being a two- 
horse stage-coach, which ran twice a day. But the 
holiday could not be indefinitely prolonged. The 
students who were not present at evening prayers 
were obliged by law to register their names with the 
regent before nine o'clock, under a heavy penalty, 
which was seldom or never incurred ; for the regent's 
book was kept by his freshman, who could generally 
be coaxed or bribed to " take no note of time." 



332 



At School [No. 105 



The price of board in commons was a dollar and 
three-quarters, or, as was then the uniform expression, 
"ten and sixpence." The dining-rooms were on the 
first floor of University Hall. College officers and 
graduates had a table on an elevated platform at the 
head of each room, and the students occupied the 
main floor in messes of from eight to ten. The round 
windows opening into the halls, and the shelves set 
in them, still remaining in some of these rooms, were 
designed for the convenience of waiters in bringing 
dishes from the kitchen in the basement. That 
kitchen, cooking for about two hundred persons, was 
the largest culinary establishment of which the New- 
England mind then had knowledge or conception. 

The professors, as well as the college officers, per- 
formed police duty as occasion seemed to demand ; 
and in case of a general disturbance, which was not 
infrequent, the entire faculty were on the chase for 
offenders, — a chase seldom successful ; while their 
unskilled manoeuvres in this uncongenial service were 
wont to elicit, not so much silent admiration, as shouts 
of laughter and applause, which they strove in vain 
to trace to their source. 

The recitations were mere hearings of lessons, 
without comment or collateral instruction. They were 
generally heard in quarter-sections of a class, the 
entire class containing from fifty to sixty members. 
The custom was to call on every student in the 
.section at every recitation. Each teacher was sup- 
posed to have some system, according to which he 
arranged the order of his daily calls. Some, like Dr. 
Popkin, openly adopted the direct, some the inverse, 
alphabetical order, some the two alternately. As for 
the key to the order adopted by the others respec- 



No. 105] College Life i?i 18 20 333 

tively, there were, generally, conflicting theories, the 
maintenance of which brought into play a keenness of 
calculation and a skilful manipulation of data fully 
adequate to the solving of deeply involved algebraic 
equations. Of course, the endeavor — not always 
unsuccessful — was to determine what part of a les- 
son it was necessary for each individual student to 
prepare. 

The range of study was much less extensive than 
now. Natural history did not then even profess to 
be a science, and received very little attention. Chem- 
istry, under auspices which one does not like to recall, 
occupied, and utterly wasted, a small portion of the 
senior year. French and Spanish were voluntary 
studies, or rather recreations ; for the recitation-room 
of the kind-hearted septuagenarian, who had these 
languages in charge, was frequented more for amuse- 
ment than for anything that was taught or learned. 
Italian and German were studied in good earnest by 
a very few volunteers. There was a great deal of 
efficient work in the department of philosophy ; and 
the writing of English could not have been cared for 
more faithfully, judiciously, and fruitfully, than by 
Professor Channing. But the chief labor and the 
crowning honor of successful scholarship were in 
mathematics and the classics. The mathematical 
course extended through the entire four years. In 
Greek and Latin, the aim, as has been already stated, 
was to reach the actual meaning of the author in 
hand, and to render his thought into clear and ele- 
gant English. This aim was attained, I think, to a 
high degree in Latin ; and with the faithful and 
searching study of the Latin text, there grew up 
inevitably the sort of instinctive knowledge of Latin 



334 



At School [No. io6 



grammar, which one conversant with the best Eng- 
lish writers acquires of EngHsh grammar, without 
formal study. Such grammatical tact and skill were 
acquired by a respectable number of Latin scholars 
in every class ; and the number was by no means 
small of those who then formed a life-long taste for 
Latin literature, and the capacity of reading it with 
all desirable ease and fluency. Greek was studied 
with much greater difficulty, and, when with similar, 
with much less satisfactory and valuable, results. The 
best scholars were often discouraged in the pursuit 
of knowledge under hindrances so grave, and had 
resort to contraband methods of preparation, which 
required little labor, and were of no permanent 
benefit. 



1 06. Fashionable Education 

By Reverend Timothy Dwight (1821) 

The end, proposed by the parents, is to make 
their children objects of admiration. The children 
of the family are regularly introduced to company 
and the praise of the guests is administered to them 
as regularly, as the dinner or the tea, is served up. 
Commendation is rung through all its changes : and 
you may hear, both in concert and succession, " beau- 
tiful children ; " " fine children ; " " sweet children ; " 
"lovely children;" "what a charming family!" 
"what a delightful family!" "you are a fine little 
fellow;" "you are a sweet little girl;" "My son, 
can't you speak one of your pieces before this 
good company .? " " Caroline, where is your work .-' " 
" Susan, bring Miss Caroline's work, and show it to 



No. io6] Fashionable Education 335 




that lady ; " " Susan, bring with you the picture, 
which she finished last week;" with many other 
things of a similar nature. Were you to pass a 
twelve month in this country, and 
to believe all that you heard said 
by people, not destitute of respecta- 
bility ; whatever opinion you might 
form of the j^arents, you would 
suppose, that the children were a 
superiour race of beings, both in 
person and mind. 

The means of effectuating this 
darling object are the communica- 
tion of what are called accomplish- 
ments. The children are solicitously 
taught music, dancing, embroidery, 
ease, confidence, graceful manners. 
To these may be added what is 
called reading, and travelling. 

The thoughts of a boy, thus educated, are spent 
upon the colour, quality, and fashion, of his clothes, 
and upon the several fashions to which his dress is 
to be successively conformed ; upon his bow, his 
walk, his mode of dancing, his behaviour in com- 
pany, and his nice observance of the established 
rules of good breeding. To mingle without awkward- 
ness or confusion in that empty, unmeaning chat, 
those mere vibrations of the tongue, termed fashion- 
able conversation, is the ultimate aim of his eloquence; 
and to comprehend, and to discuss, without impro- 
priety the passing topics of the day, the chief object 
of his mental exertions. When he reads, he reads 
only to appear with advantage in such conversation. 
When he acts, he acts only to be admired by those 



CLOCK FROM THE OLD 
BANK OF NEW YORK. 



336 



At School [No. io6 



who look on. Novels, plays, and other trifles of a 
similar nature, are the customary subjects of his in- 
vestigation. Voyages, travels, biography, and some- 
times history, limit his severe researches. By such 
a mind thinking will be loathed, and study regarded 
with terror. In the pursuits, to which it is devoted, 
there is nothing to call forth, to try, or to increase, 
its strength. Its powers, instead of being raised to 
new degrees of energy, are never exercised to the 
extent, in which they already exist. His present 
capacity cannot be known for want of trial. What 
that capacity might become cannot be even conjec- 
tured. Destitute of that habit of labouring, which 
alone can render labour pleasing, or even support- 
able, he dreads exertion as a calamity. The sight 
of a classic author gives him a chill : a lesson in 
Locke, or Euclid, a mental ague. 

On girls, this unfortunate system induces additional 
evils. Miss, the darling of her father and the pride 
of her mother, is taught from the beginning to re- 
gard her dress as a momentous concern. She is 
instructed in embroidery merely that she may finish 
a piece of work, which from time to time is to be 
brought out, to be seen, admired, and praised by 
visitors ; or framed, and hung up in the room, to be 
still more frequently seen, admired and praised. 
She is taught music, only that she may perform a 
few times, to excite the same admiration, and ap- 
plause, for her skill on the forte piano. She is taught 
to draw, merely to finish a picture, which, when richly 
framed, and ornamented, is hung up, to become an 
altar for the same incense. 

The reading of girls is regularly lighter than that 
of boys. When the standard of reading for boys is 



No. io6] Fashionable Education 337 

set too low, that for girls will be proportionally low- 
ered. Where boys investigate books of sound phi- 
losophy, and labour in mathematical and logical 
pursuits ; girls read history, the higher poetry, and 
judicious discourses in morality, and religion. When 
the utmost labour of boys is bounded by history, 
biography, and the pamphlets of the day : girls sink 
down to songs, novels, and plays. 

Of this reading what, let me ask, are the conse- 
quences .'' By the first novel which she reads, she 
is introdued into a world, literally new. Instead of 
houses, inhabited by mere men, women and children, 
she is presented with a succession of splendid palaces, 
and gloomy castles inhabited by tenants, half human 
and half angelic, or haunted by downright fiends. 
Every thing in the character and circumstances, of 
these beings comes at the wish, or the call of the 
enchanter. Whatever can supply their wants, suit 
their wishes, or forward, or frustrate, their designs, 
is regularly at hand. The heroes are as handsome, 
as dignified, as brave, as generous, as affectionate, as 
faithful, and as accomplished, as he supposes will 
satisfy the demands of his readers. At the same 
time, they have always a quantnin sufficit of money : 
or, if not, some relation, dies at the proper time, and 
leaves them an ample supply. Every heroine is, 
also a compound of all that is graceful and lovely. 
Her person is fashioned "by the hand of harmony." 
Her complexion outvies the snow, and shames the rose. 

I know, that this education is expressly attempted 
with a view to superiour refinement : but it is not 
a refinement of the taste, the understanding, or the 
heart. It is merelv a refinement of the imagination ; 
of an imagination, already soft, and sickly ; of a 



338 



At School [No. 107 



sensibility, already excessive ; of a relish, already 
fastidious. To a genuine perfection of taste it bears 
no more resemblance, than the dehcate white of 
decay to the native fairness of complexion ; or than 
the blush of a hectic to the bloom of health. 



107. A Learned Blacksmith 

By ELmu Burritt (1825) 

I WAS the youngest of many brethren, and my 
parents were poor. My means of education were 
limited to the advantages of a district school ; and 
those, again, were circumscribed by my father's death, 
which deprived me, at the age of fifteen, of those 
scanty opportunities which I had previously enjoyed. 
A few months after his death, I apprenticed myself 
to a blacksmith in my native village. Thither I 
carried an indomitable taste for reading, which I had 
previously acquired through the medium of the social 
library, all the historical works in which I had at 
that time read. At the end of a little more than half 
of my apprenticeship, I suddenly conceived the idea 
of studying Latin. Through the assistance of an 
elder brother, who had himself obtained a college 
education by his own exertions, I completed my 
Virgil during the evenings of one winter. After 
some time devoted to Cicero, and a few other Latin 
authors, I commenced Greek. At this time it was 
necessary that I should devote every hour of day- 
light, and a part of the evening, to the duties of my 
apprenticeship. Still I carried my Greek grammar 
in my hat, and often found a moment, when I was 



No. 107 J A L.earned Blacksmith 339 

heating some large iron, when I could place my book 
open before me, against the chimney of my forge, 
and go through with tnpto, tuptcis, tiiptci, unperceived 
by my fellow-apprentices, and, sometimes with a detri- 
mental effect to the charge in my fire. At evening I 
sat down, unassisted and alone, to the Iliad of Homer, 
twenty books of which measured my progress in that 
language during the evenings of another winter. 

I next turned to the modern languages, and was 
much gratified to learn that my knowledge of Latin 
furnished me with a key to the literature of most of 
the languages of Europe. This circumstance gave a 
new impulse to the desire of acquainting myself with 
the philosophy, derivation and affinity of the different 
European tongues. I could not be reconciled to 
limit myself, in thes^ investigations, to a few hours, 
after the arduous labors of the day. I therefore laid 
down my hammer and went to New Haven, where I 
recited to native teachers, in French, Spanish, Ger- 
man, and Italian. At the expiration of two years I 
returned to the forge, bringing with me such books 
in those languages as I could procure. When I had 
read these books through, I commenced the Hebrew, 
with an awakened desire for examining another field ; 
and, by assiduous application, I was enabled, in a 
few weeks, to read this language with such facility 
that I allotted it to myself, as a task, to read two 
chapters in the Hebrew Bible, before breakfast, each 
morning ; this and an hour at noon being all the time 
that I could devote to myself during the day. 

After becoming somewhat familiar with the Hebrew, 
I looked around me for the means of initiating my- 
self into the fields of Oriental literature, and to my 
deep regret and concern, I found my progress in this 



340 



At School [No. 107 



direction hedged up by the want of requisite books. 
I immediately began to devise means of obviating 
this obstacle ; and, after many plans, I concluded to 
seek a place as a sailor, on board some ship bound to 
P^urope, thinking in this way to have opportunities 
for collecting, at different ports, such works in the 
modern and Oriental languages as I found necessary 
for my object. I left the forge and my native place, 
to carry out this plan. I travelled on foot to Boston, 
a distance of more than a hundred miles, to find some 
vessel bound to Europe. In this I was disappointed ; 
and while revolving in my mind what step next to 
take, I accidentally heard of the American Antiqua- 
rian Society, in Worcester. I immediately bent my 
steps towards this place. I visited the hall of the 
Antiquarian Society, and found there, to my infinite 
gratification, such a collection of ancient, modern, 
and Oriental languages as I never before conceived 
to be collected in one place ; and, sir, you may 
imagine with what sentiments of gratitude I was 
affected, when, upon evincing a desire to examine 
some of these rich and rare works, I was kindly 
invited to an unlimited participation in all the ben- 
efits of this noble institution. Availing myself of the 
kindness of the directors, I spent about three hours, 
daily, at the hall, which with an hour at noon, and 
three in the evening, make up the portion of the 
day which I appropriate to my studies, the rest being 
occupied in arduous manual labor. Through the 
facilities afforded by this institution, I have been able 
to add so much to my previous acquaintance with the 
ancient, modern, and Oriental languages as to be able 
to read upwards of fifty of them with more or less 
facility. 



No. io8J 



Daniel Webster 



341 



108. The New Hampshire School- 
boy 

By Daniel Webster (1829) 

I DO not remem- 
ber when or by 
whom I was taught 
to read ; because I 
cannot and never 
could recollect a 
time when I could 
not read the Bible. 
I suppose I was 
taught by my 
mother, 'or by my 
elder sisters. My 
father seemed to 
have no higher ob- 
ject in the world, 
than to educate his 
children, to the full 
extent of his very 
limited ability. No 
means were within 
his reach, generally speaking, but the small town 
schools. These were kept by teachers, sufficiently 
indifferent, in the several neighborhoods of the town- 
ship, each a small part of the year. To these I was 
sent, with the other children. 

When the school was in our neighborhood, it was 
easy to attend ; when it removed to a more distant 
district I followed it, still Uving at home. While yet 




ONCE A SCHOOLBOY. 
(DANIEL WEBSTER.) 



342 At School [No. ic8 

quite young, and in winter, I was sent daily two and 
a half or three miles to the school. When it removed 
still further, my father sometimes boarded me out, in 
a neighboring family, so that I could still be in the 
school. 

In these schools, nothing was taught but reading 
and writing ; and, as to these, the first I generally 
could perform better than the teacher, and the last a 
good master could hardly instruct me in; writing was 
so laborious, irksome, and repulsive an occupation to 
me always. My masters used to tell me, that they 
feared, after all, my fingers were destined for the 
plough-tail. 

I must do myself the justice to say that, in those 
boyish days, there were two things I did dearly love : 
reading and playing. 

At a very early day, owing I believe mainly to the 
exertions of Mr. Thompson, the lawyer, the clergy- 
man, and my father, a very small circulating library 
had been bought. I obtained some of these books, 
and read them. I remember the "Spectator" among 
them. 

I was fond of poetry. By far the greater part of 
Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns I could repeat from 
memory at ten or twelve years of age. I am sure 
that no other sacred poetry will ever appear to me so 
affecting and devout. 

I remember that my father brought home from 
some of the lower towns Pope's " Essay on Man," 
published in a sort of pamphlet. I took it, and very 
soon could repeat it, from beginning to end. We had 
so few books that to read them once or twice was 
nothing. We thought they were all to be got by 
heart. 



No. io8] Daniel Webster 343 

It so happened, that within the few months during 
which I was at the Exeter Academy, Mr. Thacher, 
now judge of the Municipal Court of Boston, and Mr. 
Emery, the distinguished counsellor at Portland, were 
my instructors. I am proud to call them both mas- 
ters. I believe I made tolerable progress in most 
branches which I attended to, while in this school ; 
but there was one thing I could not do. I could not 
make a declamation. I could not speak before the 
school. The kind excellent Buckminster sought, 
especially, to persuade me to perform the exercise of 
declamation, like other boys ; but I could not do it. 
Many a piece did I commit to memory, and recite 
and rehearse, in my own room, over and over again ; 
yet when the day came, when the school collected to 
hear declamations, when my name was called, and I 
saw all eyes turned to my seat, I could not raise 
myself from it. Sometimes the instructors frowned, 
sometimes they smiled. Mr. Buckminster always 
pressed, and entreated, most winningly, that I would 
venture ; but I could never command sufficient reso- 
lution. When the occasion was over, I went home 
and wept bitter tears of mortification. 

In February, 1797, my father carried me to the 
Rev. Samuel Wood's, in Boscawen, and placed me 
under the tuition of that most benevolent and excel- 
lent man. It was but half a dozen miles from our 
own house. On the way to Mr. Wood's, my father 
first intimated to me his intention of sending me to 
college. The very idea thrilled my whole frame. He 
said he then lived but for his children, and if I would 
do all I could for myself, he would do what he could 
for me. I remember that I was quite overcome, and 
my head grew dizzy. The thing appeared to. me so 



344 



At School [No. 109 



high, and the expense and sacrifice it was to cost my 
father, so great, I could only press his hands and 
shed tears. 

Mr. Wood accomplished his promise, and I entered 
Dartmouth College, as a Freshman, August, 1797. 
At Boscawen, I had found another circulating library, 
and had read many of its volumes. I remember 
especially that I found " Don Quixote," in the com- 
mon translation, and in an edition, as I think, of three 
or four duodecimo volumes. I began to read it, and 
it is literally true that I never closed my eyes till I 
had finished it ; nor did I lay it down for five minutes ; 
so great was the power of that extraordinary book on 
my imagination. 

♦■ 

109. The District School-house 

By Reverend Warren Burton (1833) 

The Old School-house in District No. 5 stood on 
the top of a very high hill, on the north side of what 
was called the County road. The house of Capt. 
Clark, about ten rods off, was the only human dwell- 
ing within a quarter of a mile. The reason why this 
seminary of letters was perched so high in the air, 
and so far from the homes of those who resorted to 
it, was this : here was the centre of the district, as 
near as surveyor's chain could designate. The people 
east would not permit the building to be carried one 
rod further west, and those of the opposite quarter 
were as obstinate on their side. So here it was 
pbced ; and this continued to be literally the " hill of 
science" to generation after generation of learners 
for fifty years. 



No. 109] The District School-house 345 

The edifice was set half in Capt. Clark's field, 
and half in the road. The wood-pile lay in the corner 
made by the east end and the stone wall. The best 
roof it ever had over it was the changeful sky, which 
was a little too leaky to keep the fuel at all times fit 
for combustion, without a great deal of puffing and 
smoke. The door-step was a broad unhewn rock, 
brought from the neighboring pasture. It had not a 
flat and even surface, but was considerably sloping 
from the door to the road ; so that, in icy times, the 
scholars, in passing out, used to snatch from the 
scant declivity the transitory pleasure of a slide. But 
look out for a slip-up, ye careless ; for many a time 
have I seen urchin's head where his feet were but a 
second before, and once the most lofty and perpen- 
dicular pedagogue I ever knew, became suddenly 
horizontalized in his egress. 

But we have lingered round this door-step long 
enough. Before we cross it, however, let us just 
glance at the outer side of the structure. It was 
never painted by man ; but the clouds of many years 
had stained it with their own dark hue. The nails 
were starting from their fastness, and fellow-clap- 
boards were becoming less closely and warmly inti- 
mate. There were six windows, which here and 
there stopped and distorted the passage of light by 
fractures, patches, and seams of putty. There were 
shutters of board, like those of a store, which were 
of no kind of use, excepting to keep the windows 
from harm in vacations, when they were the least 
liable to harm. They might have been convenient 
screens against the summer sun, were it not that 
their shade was inconvenient darkness. Some of 
these, from loss of buttons, were fastened back by 



34^ 



At School [No. 109 



poles, which were occasionally thrown down in the 
heedlessness of play, and not replaced till repeated 
slams had broken a pane of glass, or the patience of 
the teacher. To crown this description of externals, 
I must say a word about the roof. The shingles had 
been battered apart by a thousand rains ; and, except- 
ing where the most defective had been exchanged 
for new ones, they were dingy with the mold and 
moss of time. The bricks of the chimney-top were 
losing their cement, and looked as if some high wind 
might hurl them from their smoky vocation. 

We will now go inside. First, there is an entry 
which the district were sometimes provident enough 
to store with dry pine wood, as an antagonist to the 
greenness and wetness of the other fuel. A door 
on the left admits us to the school room. Here 
is a space about twenty feet long and ten wide, the 
reading and spelling parade. At the south end of it, 
at the left as you enter, was one seat and writing 
bench, making a right angle with the rest of the 
seats. This was occupied in the winter by two of the 
oldest boys in the school. At the opposite end was 
the magisterial desk, raised upon a platform a foot 
from the floor. The fire-place was on the right, half- 
way between the door of entrance and another door 
leading into a dark closet, where the girls put their 
outside garments and their dinner baskets. This also 
served as a fearful dungeon for the immuring of 
offenders. Directly opposite the fire-place was an 
aisle, two feet and a half wide, running up an in- 
clined floor to the opposite side of the room. On 
each side of this were five or six long seats and 
writing benches, for the accommodation of the school 
at their studies. In front of these, next to the spell- 



No. no] A If^onderfu I Speller 347 

ing floor, were low, narrow seats for abecedarians and 
others near that rank. In general, the older the 
scholar, the further from the front was his location. 
The windows behind the back seat were so low that 
the traveler could generally catch the stealthy glance 
of curiosity as he passed. Such was the Old School- 
house at the time I first entered it. 



1 10. A Wonderful Speller 

By Reverend Warren Burton (1833) 

The most extraordinary spelling, and indeed read- 
ing machine, in our school, was a boy whom I shall 
call Memorus Wordwell. He was mighty and won- 
derful in the acquisition and remembrance of words, 
— of signs without the ideas signified. The alpha- 
bet he acquired at home before he was two years old. 
What exultation of parents, what exclamation from 
admiring visitors ! " There was never any thing like 
it." He had almost accomplished his A-b's before he 
was thought old enough for school. At an earlier 
age than usual, however, he was sent ; and then he 
went from Ac/ic to Abomination in half the summers 
and winters it took the rest of us to go over the same 
space. 

Master Wordwell was a remarkable reader too. 
He could rattle off a word as extensive as the name 
of a Russian noble, when he was but five years old, 
as easily as the schoolmaster himself. " He can 
read in the hardest chapters of the Testament as fast 
agin as I can," said his mother. " I never did see 
nothin beat it," exclaimed his father; "he speaks up 



348 



At School [No. no 



as loud as a minister." But I have said enough 
about this prodigy. I have said thus much, because, 
although he was thought so surpassingly bright, he 
was the most decided ninny in the school. The fact 
is, he did not know what the sounds he uttered 
meant. It never entered his head, nor the heads of 
his parents and most of his teachers, that words and 
sentences were written, and should be read, only to 
be understood. 

It happened one day that the " cut and split" for 
the fire fell short, and Jonas Patch was out wielding 
the axe in school time. He had been at work about 
half an hour, when Memorus, who was perceived to 
have less to do than the rest, was sent out to take 
his place. He was about ten years old, and four 
years younger than Jonas. " Memorus, you may 
go out and spell Jonas." Our hero did not think 
of the Yankee sense in which the master used the 
word spell : indeed, he had never attached but one 
meaning to it, whenever it was used with reference 
to himself. He supposed the master was granting 
him a ride extraordinary on his favorite hobby. So 
he put his spelling-book under his arm, and was out 
at the woodpile with the speed of a boy rushing to 
play. 

" Have you got your spelling-lesson, Jonas .'' " was 
his first salutation. " Haven't looked at it yet," was 
the reply. " I mean to cut up this great log, spelHng 
or no spelling, before I go in. I had as lieve keep 
warm here choppin wood, as freeze up there in that 
cold back seat." "Well, the master sent me out to 
hear you spell." " Did he .'' well, put out the words, 
and I'll spell." Memorus being so distinguished a 
speller, Jonas did not doubt but that he was really 



No. no] A Wonderful Speller 349 

sent out on this errand. So our deputy spelling- 
master mounted the top of the woodpile, just in front 
of Jonas, to put out words to his temporary pupil, 
who still kept on putting out chips. 

" Do you know where the lesson begins, Jonas .-* " 
"No, I don't; but I 'sposc I shall find out now." 
"Well, here 'tis." (They both belonged to the 
same class.) " Spell A-bom-i-na-tion." Jonas spells. 
A-b-o-m bom a-bom (in the mean time up goes the 
axe high in air), i a-bom-i (down it goes again chuck 
into the wood) n-a na a-bom-i-na (up it goes again) 
t-i-o-n tion, a-bom-i-na-tion ; chuck the axe goes again, 
and at the same time out flies a furious chip, and hits 
Memorus on the nose. At this moment the master 
appeared just at the corner of the school-house, with 
one foot still on the threshold. " Jonas, why don't 
you come in } didn't I send Memorus out to spell 
you ? " " Yes, sir, and he has been spelling me ; 
how could I come in if he spelt me here t " At this 
the master's eye caught Memorus perched upon the 
top stick, with his book open upon his lap, rubbing 
his nose, and just in the act of putting out the next 
word of the column. Ac-com-mo-da-tion, pronounced 
Memorus in a broken but louder voice than before ; 
for he had caught a glimpse of the master, and he 
wished to let him know that he was doing his duty. 
This was too much for the master's gravity. He 
perceived the mistake, and, without saying more, 
wheeled back into the school-room, almost bursting 
with the most tumultuous laugh he ever tried to sup- 
press. The scholars wondered at his looks, and 
grinned in sympathy. But in a few minutes Jonas 
came in, followed by Memorus with his spelling-book, 
who exclaimed, " I have heard him spell through the 



350 At School [No. Ill 

whole lesson, and he didn't spell hardly any of them 
right." The master could hold in no longer, and the 
scholars perceived the blunder, and there was one 
simultaneous roar from pedagogue and pupils ; the 
scholars laughing twice as loud and uproariously in 
consequence of being permitted to laugh in school- 
time, and to do it with the accompaniment of the 
master. 



III. Little Books presented the 
Last Day of School 

By Reverend Warren Burton (1833) 

There was one circumstance connected with the 
history of summer schools of so great importance to 
little folks that it must not be omitted. It was this. 
The mistress felt obliged to give little books to all 
her pupils on the closing day of her school. Other- 
wise she would be thought stingy, and half the good 
she had done during the summer would be canceled 
by the omission of the expected donations. If she 
had the least generosity, or hoped to be remembered 
with any respect and affection, she must devote a 
week's wages, and perhaps more, to the purchase of 
these little toy-books. My first present was from 
Mary Smith. It was not a little book the first sum- 
mer, but it was something that pleased me more. 

The last day of the school had arrived. All, as I 
have somewhere said before, were sad that it was 
now to finish. My only solace was that I should 
now have a little book, for I was not unmoved in the 
general expectation that prevailed. After the read- 



No. Ill] I^ast Day of School 351 

ing and spelling, and all the usual exercises of the 
school, were over, Mary took from her desk a pile 
of the glittering little things we were looking for. 
What beautiful covers, — red, yellow, blue, green ! 
Oh ! not the first buds of spring, not the first rose of 
summer, not the rising moon, nor gorgeous rainbow, 




FROM AN OLD SCHOOL BOOK. 

seemed so charming as that first pile of books now 
spread out on her lap, as she sat in her chair in front 
of the school. All eyes were now centered on the 
outspread treasures. Pleasure glowed in every heart ; 
for the worst, as well as the best, calculated with cer- 
tainty on a present. The scholars were called out 
one by one to receive the dazzling gifts, beginning at 
the oldest. I, being an abecedarian, must wait till 



3 52 At School [No. Ill 

the last ; but as I knew that my turn would surely 
come in due order, I was tolerably patient. But what 
was my disappointment, my exceeding bitterness of 
grief, when the last book on Mary's lap was given 
away, and my name not yet called ! Every one 
present had received, except myself and two others 
of the ABC rank. I felt the tears starting to my 
eyes ; my lips were drawn to their closest pucker to 
hold in my emotions from audible outcry. I heard 
my fellow-sufferer at my side draw long and heavy 
breaths, the usual preliminaries to the bursting-out 
of grief. This feeling, however, was but momentary ; 
for Mary immediately said, " Charles and Henry and 
Susan, you may now all come to me together:" at 
the same time her hand was put into her work-bag. 
We were at her side in an instant, and in that time 
she held in her hand — what.? Not three little pic-- 
ture-books, but what was to us a surprising novelty, 
viz., three little birds wrought from sugar by the 
confectioner's art. I had never seen or heard or 
dreamed of such a thing. What a revulsion of de- 
lighted feeling now swelled my little bosom ! " If I 
should give you books," said Mary, "you could not 
read them at present ; so I have got for you what 
you will like better perhaps, and there will be time 
enough for you to have books when you shall be able 
to read them. So, take these little birds, and see 
how long you can keep them." We were perfectly 
satisfied, and even felt ourselves distinguished above 
the rest. My bird was more to me than all the song- 
sters in the air, although it could not fly or sing, or 
open its mouth. I kept it for years, until by accident 
it was crushed to pieces, and was no longer a bird. 
But Susan Clark — I was provoked at her. Her 



No. Ill] Last Day of School 353 

bird was nothing to her but a piece of pepperminted 
sugar, and not a keepsake from Mary Smith. She 
had not left the schoolhouse before she had nibbled 
off its bill. But her mother was always tickling her 
palate with sugar-plums, raisins, cookies, and such 
like, which the rest of us were not accustomed to ; 
and she had no idea that the sweet little sugar 
bird was made, at least was given, for the sake of 
her heart rather than her palate. 

The next summer, my present was the " Death and 
Burial of Cock Robin." This was from the dearly 
loved Mary too. I could then do something more 
than look at the pictures. I could read the tragic 
history which was told in verse below the pictured 
representations of the mournful drama. How I used 
to gaze and wonder at what I saw in that little book ! 
Could it be that all this really took place ; that the 
sparrow really did do the murderous deed with his 
bow and his arrow .'' I never knew that birds had 
such things. Then there was the fish with his dish, 
the rook with his book, the owl with his shovel. 
Yet, if it were not all true, why should it be so 
pictured and related in the book } I had the impres- 
sion that every thing that was printed in a book was 
surely true ; and as no one thought to explain to me 
the nature of a fable, I went on puzzled and won- 
dering till progressive reason at length divined its 
meaning. But Cock Robin, with its red cover and 
gilded edges — I have it now. It is the first little 
book I ever received, and it was from Mary Smith ; 
and, as it is the only tangible memento of her good- 
ness that I possess, I shall keep it as long as I can. 



2 A 



354 



At School [No. 112 



112. Entrance Examinations for 
Harvard 

By John Adams (1757) and Dr. Samuel Kirkland 
LoTHROP (1821) 

I 

Mr. Marsh was a son of our former minister of 
that name, who kept a private boarding school but 
two doors from my father's. To this school I went, 
where I was kindly treated, and I began to study in 
earnest. My father soon observed the relaxation of 
my zeal for fowling piece, and my daily increasing 
attention to my books. In a little more than a year 
Mr. Marsh pronounced me fitted for college. On the 
day appointed at Cambridge for the examination of 
candidates for admission I mounted my horse and 
called upon Mr. Marsh, who was to go with me. The 
weather was dull and threatened rain. Mr. Marsh 
said he was unwell and afraid to go out. I must 
therefore go alone. Thunderstruck at this unfore- 
seen disappointment, and terrified at the thought of 
introducing myself to such great men as the President 
and Fellows of a college, I at first resolved to return 
home ; but foreseeing the grief of my father and 
apprehending he would not only be offended with me 
but my master too whom I sincerely loved, I aroused 
myself, and collected resolution enough to proceed. 
Although Mr. Marsh had assured me that he had seen 
one of the tutors the last week and had said to him all 
that was proper for him to say if he should go to Cam- 
bridge, that he was not afraid to trust me to an 
examination and was confident I should acquit my- 



No. 112] Knt7^ance RxaminatioJis 355 

self well and be honourably admitted ; yet I had not 
the same confidence in myself and suffered a very 
melancholy journey. Arrived at Cambridge I pre- 
sented myself according to my directions and under- 
went the usual examination by the President Mr. 
Holyoke and the tutors Flint, Hancock, Mayhew and 
Marsh. Mr. Mayhew into whose class we were to be 
admitted, presented me a passage of English to trans- 
late into Latin. It was long and casting my eye 
over it I found several words the Latin for which did 
not occur to my memory. Thinking that I must 
translate it without a dictionary, I was in a great 
fright and expected to be turned by, an event that I 
dreaded above all things. Mr. Mayhew went into 
his study and bid me follow him. "There child," said 
he, " is a dictionary, there a grammar, and there 
paper, pen, and ink, and you may take your own 
time." This was joyful news to me and I then 
thought my admission safe. The Latin was soon 
made. I was declared admitted and a theme given me 
to write on in the vacation. I was as light when I 
came home as I had been heavy when I went : my 
master was well pleased and my parents very happy. 

II 

On Monday morning Dr. Kirkland, as he was 
leaving the breakfast-table, said that he would like 
to see me in his study at a quarter before nine. 
When I presented myself he gave two little taps of 
his feet upon the floor, and immediately I heard a 
movement in the room below, footsteps on the stairs, 
and a knock at the door. The "Come in" was an- 
swered by a young person, to whom Dr. Kirkland 



356 



At School [No. 112 



said, " Emerson, this is my nephew, Master Lothrop, 
of whom I spoke to you." Emerson and myself shook 
hands, while my uncle continued, " I wish to put him 
under your instruction, for the present at least. Will 
you take him to your room, see where he is in his 
studies, and begin accordingly .-' Be careful not to 
make his lessons too long and difficult, because he is 
more accustomed to out-of-door life than to study. 
In his recitations and oral instruction I wish you to 
give him about an hour a day, from Monday to Friday 
inclusive." Emerson bowed, and said, " I will do the 
best I can, sir"; then turning to me, asked, "Will 
you come down to my room .-* " As soon as we got 
into his room he said, with a slight diminution of the 
dignity and authority manifested in presence of the 
President, " Lothrop — your Christian name ; what is 
it .'' " I told him my name, and then made the same 
inquiry in regard to his ; to which he replied, " My 
name is Ralph, — Ralph Waldo." Physically at least, 
the child was the father of the man ; for he was very 
much the same person then in looks and manners 
that I have known him to be for the last forty years. 
He was about two years older than myself, and nearly 
as tall as when he had reached maturity, — a Saxon 
blonde, pale face, light hair, blue eyes. He was calm 
and quiet in his manners ; and no matter how much 
he felt, externally he was never moved or excited. 
I think there was the same mingling of shyness, 
awkwardness, and dignity about him as a freshman in 
college that is often observed in him to-day. 

The examination began at 6 a. m. Friday, was 
over by five in the afternoon, and between that and 
seven o'clock all the candidates got their answers. I 
passed a very good examination, but was conditioned 



No. 113] County School Houses 357 

in Latin Grammar, — a book which at that time I 
could recite from beginning to end without a mistake. 
Dr. Kirkland, who examined me pretty strictly in the 
Georgics of Virgil, and made me parse several clauses, 
said, " I am a little surprised at your being conditioned 
in Latin Grammar. How came it.-*" I said, "I don't 
know, sir ; I had only one question put to me, which 
I did not exactly understand, and almost instantly, 
while I was trying to make out what the question 
meant, Mr. Hunt said, 'That will do; sit down.'" 
My uncle made no remark ; and Mr. Hunt, when I 
went to him to be re-examined in Latin Grammar, 
merely said, " Have you been studying it during the 
vacation } " I replied, " No, sir, I can't say that I 
have. I thought I could repeat the whole of it the 
day you conditioned me. Mr. Miles considered me 
perfectly prepared in Latin Grammar." "Well, well!" 
he said, " I don't care about hearing you repeat the 
whole of it now. FU take Mr. Miles's opinion : you 
may go." And so I left, feeling that I should like to 
ask him if he thought it right to treat a young man 
in that way. 

♦ 

113. County School Houses 

By Horace Mann (1838) 

The school-houses in the state have a few common 
characteristics. They are almost universally con- 
tracted in size ; they are situated immediately on the 
road-side, and are without any proper means of ven- 
tilation. In most other respects the greatest diver- 
sity prevails. The floors of some are horizontal ; 
those of others rise in the form of an amphitheatre. 



358 



At School 



[No. 113 



on two, or sometimes three sides, from an open area 
in the centre. On the horizontal floors, the seats and 
desks are sometimes designed only for a single scholar 




TWl) FAMOUS MEN. 
(LONGFELLOW AND SUMNER.) 



and allow the teacher room to approach on either side, 
and give an opportunity to go out or into the seat, 
without disturbance- of any one. In others, ten 



No. 114] A Young Schoolmistress 359 

scholars are seated on one seat, and at one desk, so 
that the middle ones can neither go out nor in with- 
out disturbing, at least, four of their neighbors. In 
others, again, long tables are prepared, at which the 
scholars sit face to face, like large companies at 
dinner. In others the seats are arranged on the sides 
of the room, the walls of the house forming the 
backs of the seats, and the scholars, as they sit at the 
desks, facing inwards ; while in others, the desks are 
attached to the walls, and the scholars face outwards. 
The form of school-houses is, with very few ex- 
ceptions, that of a square or oblong. Some, how- 
ever, are round, with an open circular area in the 
centre of the room, for the teacher's desk and a stove, 
with seats and desks around the wall, facing outwards, 
separated from each other by high partitions, which 
project some distance into the room, so that the 
scholars may be turned into these separate compart- 
ments, as into so many separate stalls. In no particu- 
lar does chance seem to have had so much sway as in 
regard to light. In many, so much of the wall is 
occupied by windows, that there is little difference 
between the intensity and the changes of hght within 
and without the school-room ; while in some others, 
there is but one small window on each of the three 
sides of the house and none on the fourth. 



114. A Very Young Schoolmistress 

By Mrs. Wyatt 

Before I was thirteen, I had an invitation to 
teach a school in Meaderborough, in the upper part 
of Rochester, N.H. I commenced the school under 




MARTHA LAURENS. 



No. 114] A Young Schoolmistress 361 

favorable auspices, with eighteen or twenty scholars, 
young men and women, and three babies. It was 
my first effort, and never did I do better. I was 
young and strove to excel. The school was popular 
and I gained much credit, as a teacher. 

Schools then, were not as now, filled up with all 
branches necessary to make a finished education, in 
these modern times. The only branches taught were 
reading, spelling, and writing. But little was thought 
in those days of the education of daughters. To 
read and write, with a smattering of geography and 
arithmetic were considered the height of female edu- 
cation. The minds of girls were then considered to 
be inadequate to struggle with the higher branches 
of education, which they now master so readily. 

The only books then used in school were Webster's 
spelling book, the Testament, and the Third Part, 
for the upper class. 

My school was in good order. Special attention 
was given to the manners of the pupils. They were 
taught how to enter and leave the school-room. They 
were not allowed to run in, and out, like a flock of 
sheep, passing over a gap of wall. The bow of 
the little boy was something more than a nod over 
the shoulder, by just turning the neck askew, and 
bending it to one side. The courtesy of the little 
girl was practised, till it could be gracefully per- 
formed. The manner even of walking to and from 
their seats, was not neglected. 

By strict attention to these little matters, the young 
school-marm soon gained a reputation. Her school 
was famous through the whole region. The parents 
scarcely knew their own children, so much were they 
imjDroved. Parents, teachers and pupils, all came to 



362 



At School [No. 115 



see the school, and went away to praise the teacher. 
A schoohnistress in those days was a wonder, and 
especially one so young as thirteen. I closed this, 
my first school, with more than the approbation of 
all concerned. 



115. A First-Honor Boy 

By J. Marion Sims (1819) 

When I was six years old, my father sent me to a 
boarding-school, some six or eight miles from home. 
The teacher here was an Irishman, Mr. Quigley, 
a man about fifty-five years old, and a rigid discipli- 
narian ; altogether very tyrannical, and sometimes 
cruel. He was badly pock-marked, otherwise a 
handsome man. I was very unhappy at his house. 
He had two grown daughters ; one of the daughters 
was very unkind to me, the other was sympathetic. 

A very curious custom prevailed in this school, 
which was that the boy who arrived earliest in the 
morning was at the head of his class during the day, 
and was considered the first-honor boy. The one 
who arrived second took the second place, and so on. 
There was a great rivalry among some half-dozen of 
the most ambitious of the boys. James Graham was 
about ten years old. He was almost always first in 
the morning. Although I was so very young, only 
six, I occasionally made efforts to get there earlier 
than he did. I suppose the school-house was not 
more than three-quarters of a mile from the teacher's 
residence where I boarded ; but it seemed to me, at 
the time, that it was very much farther than that. 
However, the boy that got ahead of James Graham 



No. 115] A First- Ho?io?' Boy 363 

had to rise very early in the morning. I remember 
getting up one morning long before daybreak. 

The dread of my young life was mad dogs and 
runaway slaves. I started off for the school-house 
on a trot, an hour before day, looking anxiously from 
side to side, and before and behind, fearing all the 
time those two great bugbears of my young life. 
When I arrived at the school-house the wind was 
blowing very severely. It was in the autumn ; the 
acorns were falling on the clap-boards covering the 
log-cabin, and I didn't feel very comfortable, and 
was most anxious for James Graham to come. At 
last he arrived, greatly to my relief. This was my 
first and last first-honor day. I was content after 
this to resign this post to James Graham. 

My father came to see me but once during the six 
months I was in this school. My mother came to 
see me about once a month. I was dying to tell her 
of the bad treatment I received from the teacher and 
from one of his daughters. The old gentleman was 
very obstinate, and not only punished me unneces- 
sarily at school, but he would not let me have what 
I wanted to eat, and would compel me to eat things 
absolutely distasteful to me. I wished to tell my 
mother of all this; of how Miss Nelly used to box 
my ears and pull my hair, and how old Ouigley 
used to punish me, but I was too closely watched. 
I could never get her to one side, never see her 
alone. At last I became desperate : right in the 
presence of the whole family I told the whole truth 
of the severe treatment that I had endured ever since 
I had been there, and that she must take me home ; 
if she didn't, I would run away and leave the place 
even if I were captured by runaway slaves and de- 



3^4 



At School [No. ii6 



voured by mad dogs. I would have run away long 
before, but for this dread. 

As soon as my mother went home, and told my 
father what had occurred, he sent and removed me 
to my own home again, where I was as happy as the 
day was long. I must say, however, that, in spite 
of all the disagreeable things of this school, they man- 
aged to make the boys learn. I used to lie awake 
nights, and think about what I could do to get home. 
Then it was that the idea of an elevated road came 
into my mind strongly. My idea was that all little 
boys placed at boarding-schools should have a trough 
reaching from the school to their homes, elevated 
on posts and girders, ten feet above ground, so that 
they could climb up and get into this trough and run 
home without the fear of either mad dogs or runaway 
slaves. 



1 1 6. A Little American Girl in a 
French Convent 

By M.\rtiia Jefferson (1785) 

I AM very happy in the convent, and with reason, 
for there wants nothing but the presence of my 
friends of America to render my situation worthy to 
be envied by the happiest ; I do not say kings, for, 
far from it, they are often more unfortunate than the 
lowest of their subjects. I have seen the king and 
the queen, but at too great a distance to judge if they 
are like their pictures in Philadelphia. We had a 
lovely passage in a beautiful new ship, that had made 
one passage before. There were only six passengers, 



No. ii6] A Little American Girl 365 

all of whom Papa knew, and we had fine sunshine all 
the way, with a sea which was as calm as a river. 

We landed in England, where we made a very 
short stay. The day we left it we got off at six 
o'clock in the evening, and arrived in France at 
eleven the next morning. I cannot say that this 
voyage was as agreeable as the first, though it was 
much shorter. It rained violently, and the sea was 
exceedingly rough all the time, and I was almost as 
sick as the first time, when I was sick two days. The 
cabin was not more than three feet wide and about 
four long. There was no other furniture than an old 
bench, which was fast to the wall. The door by 
which we came in was so little that one was obliged 
to enter on all-fours. There were two little doors on 
the side of the cabin, the way to our beds, which 
were composed of two boxes and a couple of blankets, 
without either spring or mattress, so that I was 
obliged to sleep in my clothes. There being no win- 
dow in the cabin, we were obliged to stay in the dark, 
for fear of the rain coming in if we opened the 
door. 

I fear we should have fared badly at our arrival, 
for Papa spoke very little French, and I not a word, 
if an Irish gentleman, an entire stranger to us, had 
not seen our embarrassment, and been so good as to 
conduct us to a house ; he was of great service to us. 
It is amazing to see how they cheat strangers ; it cost 
Papa as much to have the baggage brought from the 
shore to the house, which was about half a square, as 
the bringing it from Philadelphia to Boston. 

From there we should have had a very delightful 
voyage to Paris, for Havre de Grace is built at the 
mouth of the Seine, and we follow the river all the 



366 



At School [No. ii6 



way through the most beautiful country I ever saw in 
my Hfe, — it is a perfect garden ; — but the singularity 
of our carriage (a phaeton) attracted the attention of 
all we met; and whenever we stopped we were sur- 
rounded by the beggars. One day I counted no less 
than nine where we stopped to change horses. 

I wish you could have been with us when we 
arrived, I am sure you would have laughed, for we 
were obliged to send immediately for the stay-maker, 
the mantua-maker, the milliner, and even a shoe- 
maker, before I could go out. I have never had the 
friseur but once ; but I soon got rid of him, and 
turned down my hair in spite of all they could say. 
I have seen two nuns take the veil. I'll tell you 
about that when I come to see you. 

I was placed in a convent at my arrival, and I leave 
you to judge of my situation. I did not speak a word 
of French, and not one here knew English but a little 
girl of two years old, that could hardly speak French. 
There are about fifty or &\\\.y pensioners in the house, 
so that speaking as much as I could with them, I 
learnt the language very soon. At present I am 
charmed with my situation. There come in some 
new pensioners every day. The classe is four rooms, 
exceedingly large, for the pensioners to sleep in ; and 
there is a fifth and sixth, one for them to stay in the 
day, and the other in which they take their lessons. 
We wear the uniform, which is crimson, made Hke a 
frock, laced behind, with the tail, like a robe dc conr, 
hooked on, muslin cuffs and tuckers. The masters 
are all very good, except that for the drawing. 



No. 117] The Art of Writi?ig 367 
117. Squib on the Art of Writing 

By Francis Hopkinson (1780) 

Genius is the gift of heaven, and manifests itself 
by emanations altogether unexpected and surprising. 
Its powers are not to be obtained by application and 
study, but they may be assisted by art. When genius 
hath brought forth, art takes up and nurses the child, 
and carefully consulting its features, deduces rules 
for a happy conception. 

Such being the connection between genius and art 
it is but reasonable that a mutual intercourse of good 
offices should subsist between them. 

For my own part, I must confess that nature hath 
not been over bountiful to me in the article of genius ; 
but I am desirous of exerting the little she hath given 
in behalf of those who may have no more than myself. 

For this purpose I have devised a method of writ- 
ing on any subject. In it not only the sound may be 
an echo to the sense, if any sense there be, but the 
eye also shall be gratified with an exhibition of me- 
chanical elegance and propriety. This is the only 
elegance perhaps to which such writers can attain. 

By this scheme the construction of a paragraph, 
the progress of a line, and even the disposition of the 
words, may all contribute to enforce the idea intended. 

It would be a tedious task to form a system of 
rules for this new method of writing, or to give a 
description at large of my useful device. One ex- 
ample will fully explain the whole, so as to enable an 
author of the meanest capacity to understand and 
profit by the design. A little practice will make it 
familiar to him. 



368 At School [No. 117 

A SAMPLE OF GOOD WRITING. 

height 
to the 
rise 
An author who wishes to of excellence of 

good wiiting, must o^ to call in me- 






chanical propriety to his aid. He cannot be 

sublime : 
all at once but ^ 



% 



% 



to the ^ 



% 



profound, . ^ 

^ ^ to elegance, 









'Or 1- xAoS^""^^'^ f/jp , o^ ""^^ f^iiio- -^sts- 

rding to ^^ ^^e beauty ° "S^s cous^^ 



No. 117 ] T/ie Art of Wf^iting 369 

And whether he writes in plain prose ; 

Or would in verse his thoughts convey, 
His rhyming talents to display ; 

and the diction 
strict propriety should prevail, 

and the sense 
run parallel to each other ; pleasing as well the eye 
as the ear. 

Some have a happy talent for expression, whereby 
they compensate for the want of sentiment by the 
enchanting melody of their style. Their language 

and the mind lull'd in a pleasing repose. 

Others, without giving to grammar rules offence, 
shall arrange so unskilfully their words ; breaking as 
it were, and interrupting the sense (or rather non- 
sense) they mean to communicate, by frequent (and 
oft times unnecessary) parenthesis, that the ear stum- 
bles over their rugged paragraphs, as the feet would 
stumble in scrambling through a street, when the 



pave 





^ 'S up ; 
%. been 0. 


; over 
stones 


bricks, 
and 


X 






«-c5 




370 At School [No. 117 

The mind of the reader is more fa ti 

gu-- - - ed by travelling through a sentence so 

constructed, than it would be in gliding through a 
whole page of harmonious phraseology. 

Your precise grammarians are most apt to write in 
this style, thinking that they have well acquitted 
themselves, if the strict rules of syntax are in no 
instance violated. The laborer who mixes the mor- 
tar, and he who carries the hod, may as well pretend 
to skill in architecture, as these haberdashers of 
moods and tenses may pretend to taste and elegance 
in composition. 

Others there are who affect a singularity of 
above 
style It is indubitable verity, that their 

the vulgar, 
phrases are collated from the most approved authors, 
and applied with the most becoming aptitude, even 
to the very point of precision in propriety. Every 
period is polished and rounded off 

as i-oun^j 



.*-°^ 



Whilst others scorn the 

r -y T 1 • 1 ,• and write, 

of language, deal m demonstration „ 



No. 117] The Art of Writing 371 

By the foregoing example it is evident, that not 
only an author's sentiments may be more forcibly 
impressed on the mind, but the reader's memory will 
also be greatly assisted, if happily anything so written 
should be worth remembering. 



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FOR SCHOOLS AND READERS 

Edited by Albert Bushnell Hart, Ph.D. 

Author of "American History told by Contemporaries" etc. 



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66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 

BOSTON CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO ATLANTA 

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STUDENT'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

By EDWARD CHANNING 

Professor of History in Harvard University 
WITH SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS 

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Thayer Academy, South Braintree, A/ass, 

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A SHORT HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

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THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 
CHICAGO BOSTON SAN FRANCISCO ATLANTA 



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